By Soliu Oyesiji
The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has said the return airlift of Nigerian pilgrims from Saudi Arabia is progressing steadily, with 17,347 pilgrims already transported back to the country as of the tenth day of the operation.
In an update issued by the commission’s management, NAHCON stated that the return flights are being conducted in line with the airlift slots allocated to the four designated airlines handling the operation.
According to the commission, several states have completed the return journey of their pilgrims. These include Nasarawa, Gombe, Kogi, Oyo, Osun, Ogun, Jigawa, Kwara and Plateau states. Lagos, Kebbi and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have also achieved between 65 and 80 per cent completion.
NAHCON explained that some states are yet to commence their return flights due to its first-in-first-out policy, which is being implemented across all airlines. It noted that pilgrims from South-South states departed Nigeria on May 19, while those from Kano and Kaduna began their outbound journeys on May 16 and May 14 respectively.
States yet to begin their return airlift include Adamawa, Bayelsa, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Delta, Edo, Ekiti, Enugu, Imo, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Niger, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe and Zamfara, as well as pilgrims from the Armed Forces.
The commission said it had advised the designated airlines to ensure completion of the exercise within the agreed 19-day window, warning that it would activate contingency measures should any carrier fail to meet the schedule.
Chairman of NAHCON, Ambassador Ismail Abba Yusuf, assured pilgrims and their families that all Nigerian pilgrims would return home before the Saudi deadline for the departure of pilgrims on June 30, 2026.
The commission expressed appreciation to pilgrims, airlines and other stakeholders for their cooperation and pledged to continue providing updates on the airlift operation.
