No fewer than 34,892 Nigerian Muslims have so far been airlifted from various airports across the country to Madinah and Jeddah in Saudi Arabia in 90 flights for this year’s pilgrimage.
According to the Director of media and publicity of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), Alhaji Uba Mana, the last flight by Medview aircraft departed Lagos at about 7.27pm today for Jeddah with 138 intending Armed Forces pilgrims from Ogun and Osun states even as MaxWell aircraft earlier departed from Dutse, the Jigawa state capital at about 5.08 this evening with 556 Jigawa state pilgrims for Madinah.
He said that another airline, Topbrass also airlifted about 255 pilgrims from Bauchi to Jeddah at about 3.45 pm today even as the same airline airlifted pilgrims from Katsina, capital of Katsina state at about 6.56am today for Jeddah and that MaxAir had earlier left with 428 Katsina pilgrims for Madinah.
Today also, at about 6.18am, a Flynas aircraft flew from Kaduna for Madinah with 387 pilgrims, made up of 356 Kaduna and 30 Plateau state pilgrims.
Medview aircraft which is also taking part in the airlift, yesterday, at about 4.57pm, left Lagos with a total of 321 intending Armed Forces pilgrims, even as the same Medview aircraft also flew 221 pilgrims to Madinah at about 8.17pm yesterday, made up of 127 from Lagos state and 93 from Ogun state.
The airlift of the Nigerian pilgrims commenced on August 23 and is expected to be completed within three weeks before the pilgrimage begins in the third week of September. A total of 75,000 Nigerian Muslims are expected to perform the hajj. [myad]
