Confirmed: Sokoto pilgrims begin return flights Friday, 2nd batch to depart Jeddah Saturday

*Tambuwal gave us 5-star hotel accommodation treatment – Pilgrims

The DEFENDER can now authoritatively report that Nigerian pilgrims from Sokoto State, who took part in the just concluded 2019 Hajj exercise in Saudi Arabia, will begin their return flights on Friday, schedule at Office of National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) in Makkah reveals.

The Mosuhul of the state pilgrims, Alhaji Nura Malami, who spoke to us Tuesday afternoon in Makkah, conveyed the latest development, which means it is no longer uncertainty that the over 4,000 pilgrims from the Nigeria’s core Northern state will start to be airlifted by Flynas Airline this weekend.

“When I went to NAHCON office, they have their schedule of flights and now that Lagos have started, when they finish, they will start Sokoto’s first flight Inshallah Friday night and the second flight will follow on Saturday,” Malami said adding that, “Once we start, there will be no delay, may Allah make it possible as arranged, and so, by next week we will finish our flights back home in Nigeria”, he said.

Sokoto State has its noticeable achievements in the area of pilgrims welfare, accommodation and ability to organise its hujaj for self comportment in compliance with rules and laws of their host country, Saudi Arabia.

The DEFENDER, during a move-around check, took samples of pilgrims hotel accommodations at Ibrahim Khalil and Hijrah roads in Makkah, and gathered that Sokoto State Government of Rt. Hon .Aminu Waziri Tambuwal did not fall below standard but surpassed it.

This newspaper was told by an observer that whereas some big names, money bag states gave their pilgrims crowded accommodation, the maximun that lived in a room of 12 x 14″ room with toilet, bath and lobby provided for Sokoto pilgrims without discrimination by Tambuwal’s Administration was four, which made their stay in Makkah feel like in five-star hotel accommodation treatment.

He said: “That is exactly what we have, five-star hotel accommodation. We have facilities that make us feel like we are all VIPs and the governor, even through his deputy, gave us money as Sallah package apart from our BTA. Ho totother hotels of other states and you will see how pilgrims are crowded like eight in a room and even their floor tiles lifting and so on.

“Sincerely speaking, we lack nothing as Sokoto pilgrims and we have medical facilities and team of NAHCON who are cooperated with by the state government which make our journey here from Madinah experience very memorable,” he said.

Generally, 2019 Hajj operations and administration by NAHCON were a huge success with cooperation of state governments back home in Nigeria and other stakeholders, The DEFENDER reports.