THE Lagos State Government has announced the airlift of 2,379 intending pilgrims, comprising 1,385 females and 995 males, to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for the Year 2023 Holy Pilgrimage (Hajj) exercise.
The immediate past Commissioner for Home Affairs, Anofiu Olanrewaju Elegushi, said this yesterday, Wednesday, June 7, 2023, during the airlifting of the seventh batch of the state contingent at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja.
It should be noted that the seventh batch departed on board a Flynas Airline xy5722 with 415 intending pilgrims comprising 258 females and 157 males at 2:00 am Nigeria time.
Elegushi declared that the airlifting exercise, which was kick-started on Thursday, June 1, 2023, ahead of the initial scheduled date of June 4, had been encouraging so far, adding that the only challenge was delaying in the issuance of visas by the Saudi Arabian Embassy in Abuja.
“So far, so good, the airlifting exercise has been so smooth and hitch-free, except for the delay in the issuance of visas to the intending pilgrims by the Saudi Embassy,” he said.
Elegushi said the State would have, by now, moved all the intending pilgrims to the kingdom if the visa issuance had been as fast as expected.
He, however, added that the Embassy had been contacted to fast-track the processes to ensure that all the remaining intending pilgrims get their visas within the shortest time so that they can join other Muslims across the world in performing the hajj.
While addressing the intending pilgrims before their departure, the Board Chairman, Imam Shakiru Ayinde Gafar, appreciated them for their peaceful conduct and patience over the delay of their visas.
However, he appealed to them to improve the good image of the State and Nigeria and to exhibit peace and patience for their supplications to be accepted by Allah.
GUARDIAN
