The number of pilgrims from Nigeria to Madinah, for the 2019 Hajj, has reached 19,081 in 39 flights, according to the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) in Madinah on Wednesday.
NAHCON’s Command and Control Centre said that MaxAir NGL1049 had departed Ilorin for Jeddah at 05:40 a m, comprising 369 Kwara pilgrims with 187 males and 182 females.
The centre also disclosed that Kano pilgrims, made up of 121 males and 64 females, left Nigeria for Madinah.
Meanwhile, Nigerian pilgrims have been conducting their religious obligations toward the fulfillment of Hajj requirement in Makkah peacefully.
Officers of NAHCON and their counterparts from the states have been doing their best in enlightening pilgrims of what is expected of them to attain acceptable Hajj.
Other officers were seen attending to accommodation and health needs of pilgrims and ensuring that pilgrims are served with good food among others.
However, in spite of the advice from NAHCON officers to the pilgrims to concentrate on the religious aspect of their journey to the holy land, some of them have embarked on shopping.
They claimed that the materials were meant to serve as gifts for their families and friends at home.
News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) correspondent in Madinah reports that the least article available for purchase as gift is 5 riyad, equivalent to N500.
Many pilgrims, however, told NAN that they had engaged in serious prayer for peace in Nigeria, besides doing so for their families and friends.
Some said they made friends among fellow Muslims from other parts of the world.
According to them, Islam is a religion of peace, which enjoins its adherents to show love to others, irrespective of religious, tribe and colour. (NAN)
