The Chairman Edo State Muslims Pilgrim Board, Sheik Ibrahim Oyarekhua, has disclosed that 238 of the 400 intending pilgrims in Edo state will miss this years Hajj in Saudi Arabia.
Sheik Ibrahim also disclosed that 162 intending pilgrims in the state would be airlifted on Saturday, July 2,for the Haji operation.
Sheik Ibrahim who stated this yesterday in an interview with Daily Trust in Benin, said the 228 will missed the Hajji due to backlog from 2020 to 2021due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
He said “162 intending pilgrims would be airlifted to Saudi Arabia on Saturday, July 2. All arrangements have been concluded. Everything is ready, we have distributed sensitive material ( passport and other materials needed for the journey) to them.
“By tomorrow, they will traveled to Lagos and undergo COVID-19 test as required by Saudi authority and will leave the country on Saturday”
” We have 400 intending pilgrims who had made payment because of the backlog of 2020, 2021 and 2022 now, due to COVID-19 pandemic, only 162 would be airlifted. The backlog has raised the numbers of intending pilgrims in the state”.
“So, what we have deployed is that people would go in order of payment, those captured in 2020 would go first, then 2021 before 2022”.
He said they have made all the arrangement in term of hotel accommodation and catering services among others.
“The acting governor was in the camp yesterday to addressing the pilgrims and admonish them to be of good behaviour while carrying out their activities in the holy land.
Sheik Ibrahim however advised the pilgrims to be good ambassadors of the state and Nigeria by adhering to the rules and regulation of the pilgrimage”.
“I urge you to pray for Nigeria and Edo state so that we can overcome challenges confronting us, especially insecurity among others. This journey is a spiritual assignment and you have to commit your selves to the almighty” he said.
