Kwara suspends airlift of pilgrims, 1,236 depart Ogun

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Kwara suspends airlift of pilgrims, 1,236 depart Ogun

Kwara State Muslim Pilgrims’ Welfare Board has announced the temporary suspension of the airlift to Saudi Arabia for the weekend.

The board said the directive came after a report from Medina indicated a surge in the number of pilgrims in the area, adding however, that the exercise would resume on Tuesday.

It also said the Saudi authorities were making efforts to transport the pilgrims from Medina to Mecca to accommodate more pilgrims in Medina.

According to a statement signed by the Press Secretary of the board, Jimoh Jumoke, a total of 1,598 pilgrims have so far been airlifted before the temporary suspension of the exercise.

“Kwara Muslim Pilgrims’ Welfare Board had on May 26, 2023 commenced the airlift of pilgrims with 262 intending pilgrims for the inaugural flight.

“Between May 27th and 28, 2023, 272 pilgrims were airlifted to Saudi Arabia from the state, while another batch of 269 left the state to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia between May 28 and 29, 2023,” the statement added.

However, intending pilgrims from Kwara State to this year’s Hajj have appealed to the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria and the board to urgently address their plight.

Some of the pilgrims expressed dissatisfaction and lamented the poor arrangement in the airlifting of pilgrims.

Meanwhile, the Ogun State Muslim Pilgrims’ Welfare Board has said all the batches of pilgrims from the state, comprising 1,236 Muslims, have been airlifted to Saudi Arabia for the 2023 Hajj rites.

The Chairman of the state 2023 Hajj ad-hoc committee, Dr Tajudeen Asaye, who disclosed this on Saturday, said the pilgrims had all been airlifted to Saudi Arabia for the spiritual exercise within a few days following the support of the Governor, Dapo Abiodun.