News

Hajj 2023: Over 1,000 Oyo Pilgrims Stranded In Saudi Arabia

Eko Hot Blog reports that Over 1,000 people from Oyo State who participated in the just concluded Hajj in Saudi Arabia are stranded.

The pilgrimage to Mecca and Medinah (Saudi Arabia) is the fifth and last pillar of the Islamic religion.

According to Daily Post, some of the pilgrims who performed the exercise across the country have returned back  safely to their respective states.

However, the pilgrims from Oyo state are yet to know the date of their departure as of the time of filing this report on Tuesday.

Chairman of the State Muslim Pilgrim Welfare Board, Professor Sayed Malik, who confirmed the development, noted that efforts of officials to ensure the timely return of the pilgrims were obstructed by logistic problems.

He explained that it was scheduled that the pilgrims would be transported back to Nigeria in batches from July 10, but things did not go to plan.

“But things took a dramatic turn as the airline officials refused to airlift the pilgrims as earlier agreed. We were surprised that there was no communication from the airline and NAHCON officials on July 10 about our departure, and our pilgrims waited in vain at their hotels for the officials who didn’t show up.

“We later learned that the Aero Contractors aircraft which transported the first batch of Nasarawa pilgrims to Nigeria didn’t come back for other pilgrims in Saudi but remained grounded at the Nnamdi Azikiwe airport in Abuja because the airline failed to secure permit to land in Jeddah from Saudi aviation authorities,” he said.

It was also gathered that the Amir Hajj, who is also the State Deputy Governor, Alhaji Bayo Lawal, has directed the State Muslim Pilgrim Welfare to take appropriate steps on the matter.

Click To Watch Our Video Of The Week 

 

Akande Ismail Abiola

Share
Published by
Akande Ismail Abiola

Recent Posts

Deceit, Betrayal, Clash as Siblings Goes to Court Over Lagos Property

A dispute between two brothers, Richard and John Nwofia, has taken an unexpected turn with…

48 minutes ago

Epe Club at 50: Hon. Monsuru Akinloye Applauds Decades of Community Impact

Hon. Monsuru Akinloye has commended Epe Club for its remarkable contributions to the development of…

1 hour ago

Stay Healthy This Yuletide: 10 Reasons to Eat More Fruits

Fruit is a balancer It aids Food Digestion  It's very natural and healthy for the…

2 hours ago