The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria NAHCON, has concluded it’s first phase of airlift of pilgrims to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The final batch of the airlift ceremony of Niger state pilgrims took place at the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport.
NAHCON Chairman/CEO Alhaji Zikrullah Kunle Hassan during the media briefing at the Nnamdi Azikwe airport said it is historic for the Commission to airlift all its pilgrims after ten year.
The chairman further expressed gratitude to the almighty Allah for making the entire exercise a success despite some of the encountered challenges and against the background of the last year challenges and due to the emergency nature of the operation.
He said:
“There are many things for us to be greatful, this years operasion is about the first time in ten years when we are going to the kingdom of saudi Arabia with the total number of over 95,000, it has taken a while for Nigerian pilgrims to get this number.
“And the beauty of it is that despite the number we are able to airlift all the states pilgrims and i must say that even those of the tour operators who are challenged, by 2:am today in sha Allah after midnight today the last of the tour operators pilgrims chartered airplane will live lagos, we are safe to conclude that every operation managed and micro managed by NAHCON as far as airlift is concern are going to be in the kingdom and partake in the Arafat.
The NAHCON boss further clerifies that the two o’clock flight for tomorrow is strictly for the NAHCON officials with no pilgrims, but it was shifted to that time so that any Nigerian pilgrim from any part of the country who has his visa and valid travel document and is unable to be airlifted should just try and make it to Abuja, as long as his documents are cleared and uthenticated, he will travel and perform his Hajj.
Alhaji Zikrullah also said the last pilgrims for tonight will have some of the NAHCON’s staff in it.
