The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Nigerian pilgrims

  • Saudi authorities assure Nigerian pilgrims of safety

    Saudi authorities assure Nigerian pilgrims of safety

    Saudi Arabia has reiterated its commitment towards the safety of Nigerian pilgrims as the 2017 hajj begins.

    Deputy Governor of Madina Dr. Wahid Alsihli gave the assurance yesterday.

    He spoke at a parley with Nigeria’s Charge d’Affaires in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Ambassador Umar Z. Salisu and officials of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON).

    Alsihli said the Saudi government  was ready to contain the excesses of some its security operatives.

    Secretary of NAHCON Dr. Bello Tambuwal had petitioned the kingdom over the overzealous behaviour of some security operatives at the Madina Airport.

    Two Nasarawa State pilgrims were roughhandled by the security agents.

    NAHCON’s petition had prompted the intervention of the Saudi government.

    The deputy governor said it was unfortunate that the guests of Allah could be badly treated by those who are supposed to show kindness to them .

    He vowed that such acts would not be tolerated, hence the decision to punished the overzealous agents to serve as a deterrent to others

    The deputy governor and the Deputy Minister in charge of Hajj and Umrah Affairs in the Kingdom, Muhammad Abdurrahman Bijawy, visited  the Nigerian pilgrims’ hotel to personally apologise to the victims, NAHCON, Nigerian government and the pilgrims.

    The Nigerian Charge d’Affaires expressed delight over the Saudi Arabian government’s humility by accepting the mistakes of its agents and tendering an apology through high ranking government officials to the two victims – Alhaji Audu Damina Muhammad and Alhaji Ibrahim Nani Godi.

    Salisu hailed the NAHCON management in Madina for their prompt proactive measure in handling the issue.

  • No health crisis among Nigerian pilgrims, says NAHCON

    •Saudi Arabia hails Nigeria

    The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has described as spurious allegations in some quarters that Nigerian pilgrims presently in Saudi Arabia may have been hit by health crisis.

    A statement issued by NAHCON’s Head of Media Uba Mana yesterday said the report credited to an online media was the handiwork of some unscrupulous elements trying to discredit the different reforms initiated by the commission.

    Contrary to the report, Mana said “Nigeria does not operate or have pilgrims’ camp in Saudi Arabia as erroneously published by the medium”.

    He added: “What exists and what we are operating is pilgrim residence in five or at least three star hotel accommodation in both Makkah and Madina with full compliments of feeding – breakfast and dinner. No fewer than 50 medical health personnel, including doctors, pharmacists and nurses are in Saudi Arabia to dispense services to the pilgrims.

    “About 20 members of the national medical team were part of the first batch of Nigerian officials to arrive Saudi Arabia on the 29th July, 2017 when the inaugural flight from Nigeria departed for Saudi Arabia.

    “It is quite clear from the news report that the media is working hand in glove with a Hajj cabal, who have not hidden the fact that they want the commission to fail.

    “No wonder the media could not mention any credible source of its story instead it claim an unknown source, which we are sure are no other than the cabal. The “Cabal” having failed to tarnish the image and integrity of the leadership of the commission at both chambers of the national assembly during the controversy over 2017 Hajj fare vowed and threatened to disrupt the 2017 Hajj exercise by every means, and we are therefore not surprised that they come up with this untruth and false information which in the main is not only fallacious, but mischievous to create panic in the Nigerian tents and Nigeria at home.”

    Besides, he said to enhance the performance and efficiency of the medical team, the commission flew malaria drugs worth over N10 million, which have been distributed and stored in the Nigerian clinics located in Markaziyya area in Madina, where the bulk of Nigerian pilgrims are accommodated.

    “The same situation exists in Makkah, where the commission has about four functional clinics distributed across the different Nigerian accommodation/residence in Makkah.

    But, the Saudi Arabia has hailed Nigeria for its improved handling of the religious rites so far.

    The Kano Zone Coordinator of the Nigerian Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) Alhaji Omar Bala stated this in an interview with members of the NAHCON Media Team in his office.

    He said the airlift of pilgrims from the zone is hitch-free so far with Max Air making two trips yesterday with over a thousand Kano pilgrims airlifted to the holy land.

    He added that Flynas Airline is expected to start the airlift of Bauchi State pilgrims in the third flight from the zone scheduled for today.

     

     

     

     

     

    Bala stated that over 10,000 pilgrims from Kano, Bauchi and Jigawa states are expected to be airlifted to the holy land through the Kano Zone.

    The coordinator said cordial relationship, understanding and cooperation exist among stakeholders in hajj operation.

     

  • 465 Nigerian pilgrims leave Saudi Arabia

    The first contingent of Nigerian pilgrims to this year’s pilgrimage left Jeddah International Airport for Nigeria on Saturday

    The Flynass flight No KNE 7268 took off at 9.55 a.m., Saudi local time, carrying 465 pilgrims from Kogi, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

    The Media officer, National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), Alhaji Adamu Abdullahi, who confirmed the departure, said two other flights were already on the ground preparing for take-off.

    He said one of the flights was due to fly to Ilorin, while the other would go to Abuja.

    A total of 75,000 Nigerians performed this year’s pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia.

  • Nigerian pilgrims invade Tel Aviv market

    Nigerian Christian pilgrims currently in Israel went on a shopping spree at the Jaffa Market in Tel Aviv on Monday.

    The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the items bought by the pilgrims range from shoes, bags, fabrics, ornaments, Dead Sea health care products, cosmetics and religious articles.

    Tel Aviv, which lies along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, is the largest city in Israel.

    The pilgrims had earlier visited the St. Peter’s Church at Jaffa, where they prayed for peace and divine intervention on the security challenges in Nigeria.

    “With the situation of things in Nigeria, only God can solve the problem and we have to seek his intervention,’’ Venerable Peter Ogunmuyiwa, the pilgrims’ Spiritual Guide told NAN.

     

  • ‘Nigerian pilgrims in Israel safe’

    ‘Nigerian pilgrims in Israel safe’

    Nigerian pilgrims in Israel are well protected and safe in spite of the recent crisis between Israel and Hamas, said the Executive Secretary of the Nigeria Christian Pilgrim Commission, Mr. John-Kennedy Opara.

    Opara, who said this, while briefing journalists in Abuja on Friday, insisted that the 2012 pilgrimage was on course.

    The executive secretary said the NCPC had no plans to suspend the ongoing exercise, stressing that the commission was in touch with authorities in Israel and Egypt on the safety of Nigerian pilgrims.

    He, however, added that the commission had suspended the movement of Nigerian pilgrims to Sinai in Egypt and other sites in the Palestinian areas.

    Opara said the decision to suspend movements was based on reports received from the ground handlers in Israel and security operatives in the affected areas.

    “I want to state clearly today that Nigerian pilgrims in Israel are safe; we are in constant touch with security operatives in Israel and Egypt on the situation over there.

    “There is no cause for alarm, we are monitoring the situation; what we have done is to approve the suspension of movements to the Sinai area and other sites in Palestinian areas,” the News Agency of Nigeria quoted the NCPC chief as saying on Friday.

    Opara assured Nigerians that the security of pilgrims in Israel was paramount to the commission and other stakeholders in the sector.

    He said that the 2012 exercise would proceed as planned and that the commission would maintain its schedule for the pilgrimage.

     

  • 3 Nigerian pilgrims die in Saudi Arabia

    Three Nigerian pilgrims in Saudi Arabia have died, Dr Bello Tambawwal, the Head of National Hajj Commission of Nigeria Medina Mission, said.

    Tambawwal made the disclosure to the News Agency of Nigeria ( NAN ) in an interview in Medina, saying the pilgrims were from Kebbi, Kano and Katsina states.

    He said the first was a pilgrim from Kano State, who died aboard the plane conveying him and others in the inaugural flight to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

    He said the others died in Medina from illnesses but added that ” both of them were in their ripe age at the time of their death.’’

    Tambawwal said the Nigerian mission was working hard to ensure that medical services were available to the pilgrims always by operating two clinics in Medina, which rendered services for 24 hours.

    He said the commission was working with the medical teams of state pilgrims’ boards to ensure that priority attention was given to the health- care of pilgrims.

    He commended FCT, Edo, Jigawa, Osun and Kogi states for their zeal and commitment to the health-care of their pilgrims and urged others to emulate them.

    Tambawwal also commended the states for the thorough screening of intending female pilgrims, which resulted to none carrying a pregnancy unlike in the past.

    ”Last year we had nine cases of pregnancy cases, resulting in still birth or safe delivery of the babies but we have no pregnancy cases this year”, he said.