The Kwara State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board announced that it had received visas for all 1,953 intended pilgrims traveling to Saudi Arabia through the Board for this year’s trip.
Alhaji Abdulkadir AbdulSalam, the Board’s executive secretary, revealed this to journalists on Sunday in Ilorin, the state capital.
According to Abdulkadir, 1,597 prospective pilgrims from the state have been airlifted and are currently conducting the Hajj rites in Makkah, while 1,953 are waiting their turn.
He added that, out of the remaining intending pilgrims, 24 joined Ekiti State’s contingents earlier on Sunday for onward journey to Saudi Arabia.
He said that the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has made plans to send aircraft that have finished airlifting their designated intended pilgrims to Saudi Arabia to other states that are experiencing flight delays or other transportation issues in order to provide fast service.
He thus pleaded with the state’s remaining prospective pilgrims to exercise patience and composure since they would all be evacuated before the Saudi Arabian government’s deadline for prospective pilgrims from Nigeria.
He said that the state’s intended pilgrims were all healthy and doing well in the holy land.
