Nigerian pilgrims get deadline to arrive Madinah

The authorities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia have given Nigeria August 6, 2019 deadline for the temporary stoppage of pilgrims’ visitation to Madinah, the city of Prophet Muhammad.

As a result of this, the Nigerian pilgrims who fail to arrive Madinah before the deadline will have to delay their visit to the city that hosts the second holiest mosque, Masjid Nabawiyy, till after Arafah.

The Madinah Coordinator of National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), Alhaji Ahmed Maigari, told journalists yesterday that Nigeria would evacuate all her pilgrims from Madinah to Makkah before the August 6 deadline, equivalent to Dhul-Hijjah 5, 1440AH.

Maigari said the decision on the date was agreed upon at a meeting convened by the Governor of Madinah and the Minister of Hajj in charge of the Holy City which was attended by the representatives of Hajj missions of different countries.

Maigari, who is also the Secretary of NAHCON, said over 15,000 pilgrims had been transported from Madinah to Makkah as of Sunday, adding that the remaining pilgrims in Nigeria would now be moved directly to Makkah after the deadline, added that they would have the opportunity to visit Madinah after Hajj.

As of yesterday, 26,916 Nigerian pilgrims had been airlifted to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in a total of 55 flights.

The pilgrims were from the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Lagos, Bauchi, Taraba, Yobe, Oyo, Osun, Ogun, Gombe, Katsina, Kano, Kaduna, Nasarawa, Kebbi, Kwara, Kogi, Sokoto, Adamawa, Niger, Edo and Zamfara states.