The Zamfara State Pilgrims’ Commission has confirmed the death of four female pilgrims during the 2016 Hajj in Saudi Arabia.
The director in charge of Publicity, Security and Da’awa in the commission, Bello Al Mufty, disclosed this in a chat with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday.
Almufty urged families of the deceased persons to consider what happened as an act of God.
He said a total of 4,070 pilgrims from the state have returned in eight flights.
The National Hajj Commission for Nigeria (NAHCON) said 24,681 pilgrims have been transported back to Nigeria since the return operation began on September 17.
The Commission said on Monday in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, that the pilgrims were transported in 55 flights, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.
According to NAHCON, pilgrims from 17 states have so far been conveyed to various operational airports in Nigeria.
The Chairman of the Commission, Alhaji Abdullahi Mohammed, said he was confident that Nigerian pilgrims would all be transported back home before the October 17 deadline.
He added that the Commission had mobilised all necessary resources to ensure smooth operations.
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, has charged intending Muslim pilgrims on the need to stay on the side of the law.
She warned the pilgrims to resist any temptation of taking hard drugs to Saudi Arabia, saying drug trafficking attracts death penalty in the Middle East nation.
The Saudi authorities have also asked Nigerian pilgrims not to bring kolanut during the hajj.
More than 70,000 Nigerian pilgrims are expected to perform this year’s hajj.
Since the beginning of pilgrims’ airlift to Saudi Arabia earlier this week, more than five Nigerians have been arrested for alleged possession of substance suspected to be hard drugs and kolanut.
The presidential aide in a statement issued by her Special Assistant on Media, Abdur-Rahman Balogun, said despite repeated warnings and workshops for intending pilgrims, it is disheartening that some Nigerians still ran foul of Saudi Arabian law.
She reminded the pilgrims that some Nigerians caught with hard drugs in the last few years are still on death row in Saudi Arabia, pleading with pilgrims to shun the shameful act.
President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday launched the airlifting of Nigerian pilgrims from Sokoto to Saudi Arabia for the 2016 hajj.
The President, who was represented by the state governor, Aminu Tambuwal, restated the commitment of the Federal Government to make Nigeria a better place for all.
“We are fully committed to introducing policies and programmes to better the lives of all Nigerians, including generations yet unborn,’’ the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) quoted President Buhari as saying at the forum.
He charged the officials of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) to accord priority to the welfare and consular services of the pilgrims.
“The officials should be diligent while the pilgrims should be law abiding.
“They should also be tolerant with each other and be good ambassadors of their respective families, their states and Nigeria in general,’’ the President counseled.
The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has set up a 30-member committee to oversee affairs of Nigerians observing the 2016 Hajj.
Members of the committee are expected to ensure safety and manage airport protocol process of the pilgrims at the King Abdul Aziz International Airport, (KAIA) Jeddah and Prince Mohammad Ibn Abdul Aziz, Madina.
NAHCON Chairman, Barr Abdullahi Mukhtar, disclosed this at a briefing shortly before the team’s departure to Jeddah at the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport (NAIA), Abujaý.
Mukhtar also disclosed that the first consignment of the e-wrist band introduced by the commission in the wake of last year’s tragic accidents in Saudi Arabia, for easy identification and tracking of the pilgrims has been delivered and its distribution to the various state pilgrims board will commence immediately before their departure to the holy land.
He said the despatched team would be responsible for the allocation and distribution of accommodation, as well as provision of medical services, including feeding of the pilgrims.
The chairman, who restated the readiness of the commission to ensure the 2016 Hajj airlift operation, is successful, added that the first consignment of the e-wrist band has been made available for proper record purposes.
He stated that a team of 52 NAHCON officials including medical personnel has departed for Saudi Arabia, as part of the advance team for this year’s Holy Pilgrimage to Makkah.
The Federal Government has approved six airlines to transport intending pilgrims for the 2016 hajj operation.
A statement issued by the Head of Media, National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), Alhaji Uba Mana, said the air carriers included a Saudi-designated airline.
The airlines are – Med-view Airlines Limited, Max Air Limited, Dornier Aviation Nigeria AEP Limited, Top Brass, AZMAN Air Services and Fly-Nas Air (Saudi Arabia designated carrier).
The statement added that the government had approved two companies – NAHCO Aviance and Medview International Travels and Cargo – to airfreight pilgrims’ excess cargo during the exercise.
It said NAHCON urged the Saudi General Authority of Civil Aviation to accord the appointed carriers all the necessary logistic and consular support.
“ This will enable them have smooth plan and execution of their assignment through prompt issuance of necessary visa for their officials and officers of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority,” the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) quoted the statement as saying on the matter.
The Independent Hajj Reporters (IHR), an NGO, on Tuesday advised President Muhammadu Buhari to appeal to the Saudi Arabian Government to increase Hajj quota for the country.
This is contained in a statement jointly issued in Abuja by the National Coordinator and Publicity Secretary of the group, Messrs Ibrahim Muhammed and Abubakar Mahmoud, respectively.
The statement noted that the visit of Buhari to Saudi Arabia provided an opportunity for him to plead for Hajj quota increment for the country because of its large number of Muslim population.
It said that in 2015, Indonesia Hajj quota was increased by 10,000 after Indonesia’s president pleaded with the then King Salman during their bilateral meeting.
“In the last three years, the number of Hajj seats allocation to Nigeria stands at 76,000 due to the 20 per cent cut necessitated by the Grand Mosque expansion project,’’ said the statement.
It also recalled that prior to the 20 per cent slash Nigeria’s annual allocation was about 92,000; which the group noted was grossly inadequate.
“Within the same period, however, countries like Pakistan, India and Indonesia are allocated 94,000; 143,000 and 160,000, respectively.
“But as for Nigeria, a country with over 60 million Muslim population, got 76,000 Hajj seats,” the statement said.
It therefore urged the president to request for more Hajj seats for Nigeria as more than a million Nigerian Muslims compete for the 76,000 available slots allocated to the country yearly.
The statement observed that the reduction had made it difficult for those who have the capacity and ability to perform their religious obligation.
It suggested that seats that were not fully utilised by other nations could be given to Nigeria to ease the challenge of scarcity of Hajj seats.
It also urged Saudi Hajj Authorities to consider the request for increase in Hajj seats in view of the tremendous progress made by Nigeria in terms of compliance with Hajj rules.