Wednesday 17 October 2012

Hajj: 3,088 FCT pilgrims airlifted to Saudi

THE Minister of State for Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Chief Olajumoke Akinjide, has said that a total of 3,088 Muslim pilgrims from the FCT have been successfully airlifted to Saudi Arabia to perform this year’s hajj.
A statement by the Special Assistant to the Minister of State for FCT on Media and Publicity, Mr Oluyinka Akintunde, quoted the minister as saying that another batch of 400 pilgrims were flown, on Tuesday night, to Saudi Arabia by Kabo and Max Airlines.
Prior to Tuesday’s airlift, 2,688 Muslim pilgrims, representing 85 per cent of the 3,164 pilgrims approved for FCT for the hajj were airlifted to Saudi Arabia.
“The airlifting of Muslim pilgrims from the FCT for this year’s hajj commenced on September 25. Six out of the flights allocated for FCT have successfully airlifted our pilgrims to Jeddah Airport from where they were transported to Madinah.
“The sixth batch of 2012 FCT Muslim pilgrims took off to Jeddah by Kabo Airline at about 4:35a.m, on Tuesday, October 16, with 499 passengers on board. This brings the total pilgrims from FCT airlifted to Saudi Arabia to 2,688, out of 3,164 pilgrims expected to participate in this year’s hajj,” the minister stated.
She added that a five-star hotel with capacity for 3,200 rooms had been secured by the FCTA for the FCT pilgrims around in Masfalah, few metres away from the ground mosque in Makkah.
Akinjide appealed to the pilgrims from the territory to adhere strictly to the operational guidelines and the laws of the host country governing the pilgrimage.

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