Hajj 2024: NAHCON to Commence Return Flights June 22, to Reduce Days Spent in Saudi

The Chairman of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), Malam Jalal Arabi, has announced that the Commission will commence return flights to the country a week after Arafat.

Arabi told journalists before departing Abuja that as part of measures to ensure that Nigerians spend less days in the Holy Land, return flights to the country will commence on Saturday, June 22, exactly a week after Arafat which is scheduled for Saturday, 15th of June.

Arabi explained that the commission had succeeded in transporting 100 per cent of Nigeria pilgrims direct to Madinah.

“And you know the secret? Allah helping us, if we are able to achieve this target, we hope to succeed again for the first time in reducing the number of days that Nigerians spend each time they perform pilgrimage.

“In the past, you see Nigerians in disarray, loitering about while their counterparts from other countries would have been evacuated back home,” he said.

He said no fewer than 120 flights airlifted Nigerians to Saudi Arabia for the pilgrimage.

“We must give credit to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who is the enabler, the Vice President, state governors and other stakeholders.

“The pilgrims also persevered and were determined to embark on the journey. They have made up their minds that they want to go at all cost. We are happy for the success so far.

“God helped us to do it and it was successful. The persistence that we must get it right has been what is pushing us to do the right thing.

“We have done our best and we are leaving the rest to God. We pray it is going to be successful by the end of the exercise.

“Close to 66 thousand pilgrims are being catered for. There are bound to be issues, but we are tackling them one after the other,” he added.