The 2017 hajj exercise to Saudi Arabia is scheduled to commence on August 4 at the Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA), Lagos with a total number of 6,047 pilgrims to be airlifted from the Lagos Zone alone.
The Lagos Zone comprises of Lagos, Oyo, Osun, Ogun, Edo States and the Armed Forces.
At a meeting of all stakeholders at the hajj and cargo section of the Lagos airport , commissioner, south west, National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, NAHCON, Imam faud Adeyemi, said two airlines from Nigeria, medview and one from Saudi Arabia FlyNas would airlift the pilgrims out of Lagos Zone to Mecca, Saudi Arabia.
Giving a breakdown of the pilgrims, Imam Adeyemi said 2,316 would be airlifted from Lagos; Edo; 294, Oyo; 1100, Ogun; 1000; Osun; 962 while the Armed Forces is put at 375 pilgrims for the exercise.
Also speaking, the commissioner Home Affairs, Lagos State, Alhaji Abdulateef Hakeem revealed that 18 of the intending pilgrims failed medical and pregnancy tests, but regretted that some of them later aborted the pregnancies in order to participate in the 2017 annual hajj exercise to Mecca.
Representative of the Managing Director, Federal airports authority of Nigeria FAAN, Mr. Saleh Dunoma at the meeting, the terminal manager, hajj and cargo, Mr. Asizehi Musa, FAAN had activated all the facilities for the seamless facilitation of the exercise, stressing that this would further improve quality service delivery for the pilgrims.
He implored all security agencies to synergise and support the Aviation Security (AVSEC) of FAAN in the discharge of their duties while also urging the intending pilgrims to ensure that prohibited items were not smuggled to Saudi Arabia.
Aircraft for the airlift are Boeing 767, which is configured to airlift 320 pilgrims, B747 configured for 460 pilgrims and another B777 configured to airlift 315 pilgrims for the exercise.
