3,740 pilgrims from Kwara are anticipated to make the journey to Saudi Arabia for the 2023 Hajj.
Alhaji Abdulsalam Abdulkadir, the executive secretary of the state Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board, revealed this in Ilorin on Saturday during the education session for prospective pilgrims.
At the board office’s enlightenment program, there was also a special prayer for the event’s success.
Alhaji Abdullahi Abdulhameen, the Imam Imale of Ilorin, and other religious authorities accompanied Alhaji Muhammad Solihu, the Chief Imam of Ilorin, in leading the prayer session.
The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), according to the executive scribe, approved the number, and all pilgrims from Kwara have since paid their Hajj fees to the commission.
According to him, the board was able to accommodate more than 200 outstanding intending pilgrims from the 2022 exercise because 3,740 intending pilgrims were accepted for the state.
He claimed that while NAHCON had set May 21 for the inaugural flight, the schedule for the pilgrims’ transportation had not yet been made public.
According to Abdulkadir, vaccinations for all aspiring pilgrims would start between now and May 10.
He promised that the board will also pay the BTA of incoming pilgrims, who are each entitled to $800, to the Central Bank of Nigeria.
The executive secretary urged all prospective pilgrims to be patient with the board while also assuring them that the board was more than willing to assist them by taking the required steps to ensure a trouble-free activity.
He said, “We are not here for our own benefit; we are here to help them, and I want to counsel them to be patient and collaborate with us.
While in Nigeria and the holy land, Dr. Abdulkadir Sambaki exhorted aspiring pilgrims to follow the law and keep Allah in the forefront of their minds at all times.
“I want to command them to follow the exercise’s dos and don’ts.
There is no tolerance for disobedience for any intended pilgrims, thus they should obey by Nigerian law and Saudi Arabian authorities, he said.
Justice Abdulateef Kamaldeen, the Grand Khadi of Kwara, exhorted all aspiring pilgrims to approach the activity with a fear of God in his lecture.
The Grand Khadi further commanded them to assist Hajj authorities and refrain from any behavior that would interfere with the ritual.
