PANAPRESS
Panafrican News Agency
Nigeria: 2013 Hajj commences with 517 pilgrims airlifted from Lagos
Lagos, Nigeria (PANA) - The first batch of 517 Nigerian pilgrims for the 2013 Hajj to Saudi Arabia were airlifted from Lagos early Sunday, PANA reported from here.
They were flown to Medina, Saudi Arabia, by Med-View airlines, one of the carriers approved to do so by the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON).
The 517 pilgrims were drawn from the Lagos zone -- Osun and Ogun States.
Alhaji Muneer Bankole, the Managing Director of Med-View Airline, told journalists here that his carrier would eventually fly all the pilgrims from the South West and South East with the exception of those from Lagos State - who will be flown by Max Air.
He said Med-View would fly pilgrims from Lagos, Ilorin and Port Harcourt zones, adding that his carrier would airlift 5,500 pilgrims from the three zones.
He assured the pilgrims from the three zones that Med-View Airline planned to complete the airlift operation by 19 September.
Bankole said that in addition to flying the pilgrims, "We intend to provide praying materials such as the hiram for male pilgrims and hijab for female pilgrims as incentives on their arrival in Medina.
This, he said, was to forestall the repatriation of some female pilgrims, as was done last year by the Saudi government because such women violated the law.
On precautions against the Corona Virus outbreak in Saudi Arabia, Bankole commended the Federal Ministry of Health and NAHCON for thoroughly enlightening the pilgrims during their orientation programmes on how to prevent contracting the disease.
Bankole said "with 30 years of handling hajj operations, Med-View Airline had put in place adequate arrangements that would ensure that this year's Hajj was successful."
-0- PANA ADA/VAO 15Sept2013
They were flown to Medina, Saudi Arabia, by Med-View airlines, one of the carriers approved to do so by the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON).
The 517 pilgrims were drawn from the Lagos zone -- Osun and Ogun States.
Alhaji Muneer Bankole, the Managing Director of Med-View Airline, told journalists here that his carrier would eventually fly all the pilgrims from the South West and South East with the exception of those from Lagos State - who will be flown by Max Air.
He said Med-View would fly pilgrims from Lagos, Ilorin and Port Harcourt zones, adding that his carrier would airlift 5,500 pilgrims from the three zones.
He assured the pilgrims from the three zones that Med-View Airline planned to complete the airlift operation by 19 September.
Bankole said that in addition to flying the pilgrims, "We intend to provide praying materials such as the hiram for male pilgrims and hijab for female pilgrims as incentives on their arrival in Medina.
This, he said, was to forestall the repatriation of some female pilgrims, as was done last year by the Saudi government because such women violated the law.
On precautions against the Corona Virus outbreak in Saudi Arabia, Bankole commended the Federal Ministry of Health and NAHCON for thoroughly enlightening the pilgrims during their orientation programmes on how to prevent contracting the disease.
Bankole said "with 30 years of handling hajj operations, Med-View Airline had put in place adequate arrangements that would ensure that this year's Hajj was successful."
-0- PANA ADA/VAO 15Sept2013
