2019 Hajj: Ilorin airport begins airlifting of 2, 000 Kwara intending pilgrims, Sunday
Stories by Matthew Denis
Ilorin International Airport will commence airlifting of the first batch of 2, 000 intending Muslim pilgrims from Kwara State Jeddah to perform the 2019 Hajj rites on Sunday.
The pilgrims will be airlifted by Max Air, one of the popular airlines that for the yearly hajj operations from Ilorin zone and other zones as delineated by National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON).
Speaking to newsmen shortly after the sensitisation exercise on Thursday, the Executive Secretary of Kwara State Muslim Welfare Board, Alhaji Tunde Jimoh disclosed that NAHCON has given the board tentative flight schedules for the airlifting of Kwara pilgrims.
He said ” The first flight from Kwara, all things being equal will commence on the 14th July, 2019, while the second and third will come sequentially on the 15th and 16th of July 2019. We hope that the last batch will also take place immediately.
” We have registered about 2, 000 pilgrims for this year hajj operations and have so far been able to obtained 1,520 visas for our pilgrims.
” The issuance of yellow cards is at 78 percent completion, which is at advanced stage by the Port Health Agency. Also the BTA has reached advanced stage too. These are the necessary requirements to make the airlifting possible for the pilgrims,” he added.
The executive secretary further said that the issue of biometric capturing has been suspended by NAHCON, stating that the Saudi authority has stepped it down for now.
He said the board has conducted a comprehensive medical screening , therefore he called on pilgrims to avoid carrying any contraband items like Kolanut and drugs that are prohibited by the Saudi Authority as their penalty is very stiff.
He explained that the purpose of the sensitisation programme is to teach the intending pilgrims how to perform hajj and Umrah.
“We are practically training them on ways to perform the hajj rites and we want the pilgrims to become conversant with the laws of Saudi Arabia so as to be good ambassadors of Nigeria when they get there,” he said.
