21st September, 2016
The Manager of the airport, Alhaji Ahmed Adamu, made the disclosure in an interview in Sokoto on Wednesday.
Adamu said that the pilgrims who were all hale and hearty, were transported by Max Airline.
”The first flight into the Sokoto airport arrived around 6.40 a.m., with 560 pilgrims from Bukkuyum and Gummi local governments of Zamfara.
”The second flight arrived the airport at around 10.0 4 a.m. with 500 pilgrims from Bungudu and Kauran Namoda local governments of Zamfara.
”The third flight into the airport arrived at around 6.20 p.m. with 500 pilgrims from Gada, Isa and Binji local government areas of Sokoto State,” he said.
Adamu said the management of the airport had made adequate arrangements to ensure the successful transportation of all the pilgrims back to the country.
Meanwhile, the Director-General of the Sokoto State Pilgrims Welfare Agency, Alhaji Ibrahim
Umar, said the agency had made adequate arrangements to ensure the success of the exercise.
”We have transported 4,750 pilgrims from the state to Saudi Arabia and they had successfully completed the pilgrimage.
”All our pilgrims are intact and they will be transported back to Nigeria in ten flights.
”All the pilgrims would be transported back to Nigeria in the order they were taken to the Holy land,” Umar said in Sokoto on Wednesday.
Governor Aminu Tambuwal had appointed a high-powered committee headed by the Religious Affairs Commissioner, Alhaji Mani Katami, to receive the pilgrims.