*** announces take off date
The Nasarawa State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board says it has drop two pregnant women from the list of the 2024 intending pilgrims to Mecca.
Ahj. Idris Ahmed-Al-Makura, Executive Secretary (ES) of the board made the disclosure in an interview with newsmen on Friday in Lafia.
The Executive Secretary added that the two women were dropped from the list of 1, 760 intending Pilgrims from the state because of the new rules governing the exercise.
“It was not all the intending Pilgrims that had made it for the medical screening, so it is ongoing exercise and we will conduct it even at the Airport.
“We still have 250 people that have not yet come for the screening exercise, as such, we will conduct medical screening even at the Airport and anyone found wanting will be dropped.
“We are doing all this to put our house in order to avoid embarrassment because if a pregnant woman is caught at the Holy Land the punishment is N10 million or three months imprisonment,” he added.
Ahmed-Al-Makura further said that the intending Pilgrims had faced a lot of challenges due to the increase in the payment.
He explained as it has been in the past, Gov. Abdullahi Sule had given the board all the necessary support and had supported the intending Pilgrims in the areas of accomodation and transportation to ease pilgrimage.
The further said that the intending Pilgrims from the state would be airlifted on May 15 to the Holy Land.
He clarified that the State’s Pilgrims were not in the inaugural flight, but would be in one of the three flight that would be living the country on May 15 to Mecca.
He expressed gratitude to Gov. Abdullahi Sule for his continued support to the board and promised to give priority to welfare of the intending Pilgrims to ensure a smooth exercise.
He also lauded the innovation by Alh Jalal Arabi, Executive Chairman of National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAH ON) toward ensuring a smooth exercise.
“The first set of Pilgrims will be airlifted on May 15, but as I speak to you issues concerning visas and yellow cards have already been addressed,” he added. (NAN).