National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, NAHCON, said Wednesday it has successfully concluded the return airlift of Nigerian pilgrims who performed the 2025 Hajj exercise.from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The commission announced that the final flight departed Jeddah on Wednesday at about 10:30am carrying 88 pilgrims back to Kaduna State, including one from Katsina State .
The return leg operation, according to a statement issued by the NAHCON’s Assistant Director of Information and Publications, Hajiya Fatima Sanda Usara, spanned 20 days after commencing on 13th of June.
In his farewell address to the pilgrims, the chairman of NAHCON, Professor Abdullah Saleh Usman, expressed profound gratitude to Allah for granting Nigeria a smooth and successful Hajj exercise.
Usman attributed this success to the spirit of unity and cooperation demonstrated by State Pilgrims’ Welfare Boards officials, airline operators and other service providers, as well as obedience of the pilgrims to laid down guidelines.
The chairman urged the returning pilgrims to continue praying for Nigeria to overcome its challenges and to remember the nation’s leaders in their prayers.
Usman also reminded them that Hajj serves as an opportunity to build meaningful relationships which foster peace and harmony, and therefore, encouraged them to sustain the ties of friendships they established during their pilgrimage.
The chairman, flanked by the NAHCON’s Commissioner of Operations, Prince Anofiu Elegushi; Secretary of the Commission, Dr Mustapha Alli; Special Assistant to the President, Ameen Amshi and other staff prayed for their safe journey back to Nigeria.
He reassured that the commission would continue to improve in its mandate for Nigerian pilgrims in line with global best practices.