The last batch of 140 pilgrims from Kwara State including 24 officials of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) have departed the Babatunde Idiagbon International Airport, Ilorin to Saudi Arabia for the 2025 Hajj rites this evening.
Addressing the pilgrims before their departure, the Chairman of the Kwara State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board, Professor Mashood Mahmud-Jimba advised the pilgrims to conduct themselves well throughout the period of the Hajj, warning them against smuggling prohibited items to Saudi Arabia.
Professor Mahmud -Jimba who said adequate arrangements had been put in place to ensure a hitch free Hajj, urged the pilgrims to avoid engaging in strenuous activities to enable them to prepare well for the rigours of the Hajj rites.
The Chairman then advised the pilgrims to make use of the medical facilities provided for them when in need of medications, emphasizing the need for them to be in good health to perform the Hajj rites well.
In his remarks, the Kwara State Amirul Hajj for this year, the Olupo of Ajase – Ipo, Barrister Ismail Yahaya-Alebiosu expressed satisfaction with the arrangements put in place for the hitch free airlift of all the intending pilgrims to Saudi Arabia.
He commended the State government for providing the necessary logistics to the board to ensure a seamless exercise and urged the intending pilgrims to obey the rules and regulations of their host country while at the holy land.
On his part the Executive Secretary of the Board, Alhaji Abdulsalam Abdulkadir, advised the intending pilgrims to be good ambassadors of the country and urged them to pray for the peace and prosperity of Nigeria.
A total of 2, 210 pilgrims from Kwara State are expected to perform this year’s Hajj rites in Saudi Arabia.
