Hajj 2016: Pilgrims Airlift Begins August 8

The inaugural flight of this year’s Hajj exercise will commence on August 8 from the Sultan Abubakar III Airport in Sokoto State.

The Sultan of Sokoto and President of the Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), Alhaji Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar made the announcement yesterday in Abuja at a one-day Hajj Stakeholders Conference.

The Sultan represented by the Etsu Nupe, Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar, said the first flight will convey pilgrims from Zamfara State.

He urged all intending pilgrims to pray for peaceful coexistence and advised them to “take seriously the recent ban placed in Kolanut by the Saudi Arabian authorities.”

The Chairman of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), Abdullahi Mukhtar, said the commission has concluded arrangements to put in place a blood bank for Nigerian pilgrims in Saudi Arabia.

Thousands of pilgrims, including Nigerians lost their lives in a stampede in Mina last year, but Mr. Mukhtar said the Saudi Arabia authorities have assured that adequate measures have been taken to avoid a recurrence of the ugly incident.

He also announced that the Saudi Arabian authorities have banned the distribution of all enlightenment materials to pilgrims in the Kingdom.

“All enlightenment materials should only be given to Nigerian pilgrims before they depart from the shores of the nation,” he said.

Max Air, Medview and Flynas are the three carriers designated to airlift Nigerian pilgrims for this year’s exercise.