Tajudeen Balogun
The third flight conveying 291 Lagos State intending pilgrims embarking on the Y2025 Holy pilgrimage has landed safely at the King AbdulAziz International Airport, Madinah, Saudi Arabia.
This was contained in a press release signed and by the Director of Public Affairs, Lagos State Pilgrims Welfare Board, Taofeek Lawal, on Friday.
Lawal disclosed that the FLYNAS Airbus A-330-300 with registration number: XY8416, departed Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos State at 5:07pm Nigerian time on Thursday with 143 males and 148 females from Lagos State in addition to 95 males and females from Osun State, totalling 386 intending pilgrims aboard the flight.
The plane, he confirmed, landed at 1:45am Saudi Arabian time on Friday.
Recall that the total number of Lagos intending pilgrims is 1,432.
Thus, with the safe arrival of the third flight, the State has successfully airlifted 1,062 pilgrims to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, while the remaining 372 are expected to be airlifted on or before Saturday, May 17, 2025.
While addressing the intending pilgrims before departure, the State Commissioner for Home Affairs/Amir-ul-Hajj, Olanrewaju Ibrahim Layode, reiterated the welfare packages promised by the administration of Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu and his Deputy, Dr. Kadri Obafemi Hamzat.
These, according to Layode, included payment for their Hadiyah (sacrificial rams), monetisation of the Ihram clothing, Ziyarah (transportation to historical sites) and others, stressing that all the promises made by the Governor shall be fulfilled when everyone completely arrives at the Kingdom.
He urged them to obey the rules and regulations, guiding their stay in the foreign land and avoid any negative tendency that could bring disrepute or tarnish the image of the State and Nigeria in general.
Meanwhile, the fourth flight expected to depart on Friday, according to the airlifting schedule, had been cancelled and rescheduled for Saturday, May 28, 2025.
