The Kwara State government has said 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 rolled out the return flight schedule of Kwara pilgrims, which showed that the pilgrims from the state will start returning to Nigeria on June 21, 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.
“Kwara has some 2,204 pilgrims this year, one of the most significant contingents from Nigeria. These pilgrims are scheduled to depart Saudi Arabia in four batches as follows: June 21st, 23rd, 25th, and 27th. The Kwara State Government did not design this schedule; it was created by all the stakeholders: NAHCON, airlines, and the pilgrims’ board.
“Today is June 17th. How did the story of being stranded arise?’’ Ajakaye clarified.
He noted that many federation states 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 was 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 Kwara State Muslim Pilgrims’ Board Executive Secretary. They both had a good laugh at the statement of the PDP because there is nothing of the sort.”
