48Hrs to Saudi Airport’s Closure, Over 1,000 Kano Pilgrims Stranded in Nigeria
No fewer than 1,000 intending pilgrims from Kano State are likely to miss this year’s Hajj (Holy Pilgrimage) in Saudi Arabia, Politics Digest reports.
Barely 48 hours is left for the Jeddah International Airport in Saudi to conclude operations of welcoming intending pilgrims from various parts of the world, this newspaper learnt.
But a majority of them from Kano are yet to be airlifted, even as there is no assurance they will eventually make it to the Holy Land for the yearly religious exercise.
No fewer than 100 Kano intended pilgrims yesterday were left stranded at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, by an aircraft assigned to board them to Jeddah, by the National Hajj Commission, NAHCON,
According to the Executive Secretary of the Kano State Pilgrims Welfare Board, Alhaji Mohammad Abba Danbatta, the slow pace of the airlift of Kano pilgrims to Saudi Arabia is due to the incapability of the air carrier assigned to airlift the pilgrims.
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Danbatta, while addressing journalists, explained that before the commencement of the airlift of Kano pilgrims to Saudi, the board formally wrote to NAHCON seeking for its approval to allow Max Air airlift its pilgrims.
This is because Max Air had performed the same exercise for many years without any hindrance, he said.
Abba Danbatta, said that despite their formal request, NAHCON assigned Azman Air to airlift the intending pilgrims which are over 2,000.
He said: “But since the commencement of the Hajj operation, Azman has only airlifted 975 intending pilgrims from the State.
“Yesterday, Azman directed us to call our pilgrims for airlift to Saudi Arabia. We summoned over 400 pilgrims for screening at the camp, but they were left stranded for over 24 hours”.
The Pilgrims Welfare Board helmsman, however pointed out that their Board had intimated NAHCON on the recent development in Kano, which he said has now been resolved.
According to him, arrangements have been concluded to hire a Saudi Arabia air carrier company, Flyners, which can convey over 400 pilgrims at a time.
“Two air carriers flyners from Saudi Arabia would arrive Aminu Kano international anytime from now. I assure you that all the remaining pilgrims will be airlifted before the closing date,” he said.
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