The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCOH) Sunday said it airlifted 41,938 pilgrims to Saudi Arabia with 99 flights.
Data obtained showed that 25,030 of the airlifted Nigerian pilgrims are males, while 16,908 are females.
Out of this number, Blueprint correspondents in Madinah, gathered that 14,529 are in Madinah while the remaining 27,409 have been transported to Makkah for the continuation of the spiritual exercise.
The statistics further show that NAHCON is yet to airlift any pilgrim from Abia, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Enugu, Imo, Rivers states, and the Armed Forces.
Transportation of Nigerian pilgrims began with an inaugural flight that conveyed 472 Nasarawa state pilgrims from Abuja to Madinah on 25th May, 2023.
NAHCON has set a June 20th target to transport all intending pilgrims from Nigeria to Saudi Arabia for the 2023 hajj.
In a related development, Blueprint correspondent’s visit to NAHCON Pilgrim Clinic Sunday revealed that the members of the National Medical Team (NMT) are attending to pilgrims in need of medical care.
NMT comprises Nigerian medical doctors, nurses, and pharmacists moved to Saudi Arabia to provide medical services for Nigerian pilgrims.
At the clinic located at Nigeria Hajj Mission Office, Jalal Al Dine Al Sayouti, Qurban, Al Madinah Al Munawwarah 42316, the doctors were seen attending to a patient from Lagos state.
Meanwhile. Nigeria pilgrims from Niger, Jigawa, and Kaduna states in Madinah, Saudi Arabia, has commended the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCOH) for their services.
Blueprint exclusively spoke with some of the pilgrims on Sunday in Madinah who commended the Commission for the flight arrangement, transportation, medical, accommodation, and warm reception.
A pilgrim, Sani Magaji from Jigawa State and Ibrahim Mohammed from Kaduna said they were warmly received by NAHCON officials in Madinah.
Magaji said, “From the airport, we were moved into a comfortable bus and brought to the hotel. And at the hotel, they speedily allocate rooms to our people.”
