4th October, 2016
No fewer than 3,770 pilgrims from Sokoto State have been transported back to Nigeria after successfully performing the 2016 Hajj.
The Director-General of the state’s Pilgrims Welfare Agency( PWA),Alhaji Ibrahim Umar, disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Sokoto on Tuesday.
Umar said the pilgrims were transported in seven flights by Max Air.
“The 8th flight, with 500 pilgrims from Illela Local Government, the remaining of some local governments’ pilgrims and officials will leave Jeddah Airport in the next thirty minutes.
“Then, only 480 pilgrims from Sokoto South, Sokoto North, Bodinga and some officials, will be transported back to Nigeria in the 9th flight, which will be the last.
“The 9th flight which, God willing, will mark the completion of the transportation of our pilgrims
back to Nigeria will arrive the Sokoto Airport in the early hours of Oct.7.”
Umar expressed happiness with the speedy and smooth transportation of the pilgrims back to Nigeria by Max Air.
The director-general commended the Federal Government and Sokoto State Government for their excellent arrangements for the 2016 exercise.
“This year’s Hajj was really one of the best organised and indeed most successful in recent years,” Umar said.