The Kwara State government has declared that no pilgrim from the state is stranded in Saudi Arabia.
In a statement signed by the chief press secretary to the governor, Rafiu Ajakaye, the government also unveiled the return schedule flights which showed that the pilgrims from Kwara State will begin returning to Nigeria from 21st June, 2025.
The government was reacting to the claim by the state’s chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that the state pilgrims were stranded in Saudi Arabia.
Ajakaiye said, “Kwara has some 2,204 pilgrims this year, one of the biggest contingents from Nigeria. These pilgrims are scheduled to depart Saudi in four batches as follows: June 21st, 23rd, 25th, and 27th. This schedule was not designed by the Kwara State Government; it was designed by all the stakeholders: NAHCON, airlines, and the pilgrims’ board.
“Today is June 17th. How did the story of being stranded arise? ” Ajakaye queried.
He noted that many states in the country still have pilgrims in the holy land, adding that, “Nigeria has some 41,000 pilgrims this year; of these, only 6,951 are back, according to NAHCON figures this afternoon.
He added, “Kwara State PDP has just issued a statement raising an alarm that Kwara State pilgrims in the holy land Saudi Arabia are stranded.
“As a policy of the media team, we checked to see if anything is amiss contrary to what we knew about the scheduled return of our pilgrims.
“I spoke with the Ameerul Hajj and Olupo of Ajase-Ipo HRM Oba Ismail Yahya Alebiosu and the Executive Secretary of the Kwara State Muslim Pilgrims’ Board. They both had a good laugh at the statement of the PDP because there is nothing as such.”
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