Intending pilgrims protest in Kano as over 1000 miss 2022 Hajj

About 1000 intending pilgrims from Kano State may miss 2022 pilgrimage following failure by the airline carriers to convey them to Saudi Arabia.

The pilgrims were currently stranded at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, protesting what they described as “great injustice”.

Authorities in the Saudi Arabia have extended the deadline for closing King Abdulaziz Airport for Nigeria to conclude airlifting its pilgrims but could not meet up.

The Executive Secretary of Kano State Pilgrims Welfare Board, Muhammad Danbatta, said the situation was sad, saying the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has failed to honour a rescue mission arrangement for the past two days.

Danbatta, on Thursday, AZMAN aircraft with 400 passengers capacity departed Kano with only 250 intending pilgrims, leaving on ground over 940 pilgrims with the state officials.

He said: “As l am speaking to you now, all the over 940 intending pilgrims are at the Malam Aminu Kano International Airport and Hajj camp stranded.

“NAHCON had promised to deploy Flynas airline with big passengers capacity since two days ago to save the situation but we are yet to see that happening.

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“AZMAN Airline has carried out 6 flights with 1,175 pilgrims as they have small aircrafts that does not have the capacity to take a large number of pilgrims.

“This was why we complained before the beginning of the Hajj exercise considering that we have the largest number of pilgrims, that we prefer to be airlifted by Max Air.

“I was in Abuja at NAHCON headquarters more than 10 times on this issue with more than 11 letters written to the commission for us not to be in this situation and the governor wrote to them 3 times but what we were trying to prevent is almost happening.”

Meanwhile, about 300 intending pilgrims from Kano had earlier protested failure to secure hajj slots after making their payment prior to disruption of the exercise by COVID-19 pandemic.

Although officials of Kano Pilgrims Welfare Board said they were hopeful that the intending pilgrims would be airlifted, it however, appears unlikely as the proper Hajj exercise commences in less than fifteen hours.

The Star