The FCT Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board (FCT-MPWB) has announced the disbursement of approximately N270 million as refunds for services not rendered during the 2024 Hajj exercise. Each pilgrim will receive N61,000, equivalent to 150 Riyals. To ensure a smooth process, the board has established a committee to oversee the distribution. Beneficiaries are required to present proper identification, including evidence of …

No fewer than 30 Nigerians died during the just-concluded Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia, the Chairman of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), Mallam Jalal Arabi, said on Monday. Arabi, who disclosed this at a post-Hajj press briefing in Abuja, explained that about four victims passed away as a result of the heat wave recorded during the Hajj exercise. …

Over 1,300 people are reported to have died in this year’s Hajj pilgrimage – with “numerous cases” due to heat stress and “unauthorized” trips accounting for over 80% of the fatalities, Saudi Arabian authorities have said. “The health system addressed numerous cases of heat stress this year, with some individuals still under care. Regrettably, the number of mortalities reached 1,301”, …

At least 19 Jordanian and Iranian pilgrims have died while on the hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia, authorities from their countries said on Sunday, as temperatures soar in the kingdom. “Fourteen Jordanian pilgrims died and 17 others were missing” during the performance of hajj rituals, Jordan’s foreign ministry said in a statement. AFP reports that the ministry later confirmed that …

More than 1.5 million Muslims will pray on Mount Arafat on Saturday, the high-point and most gruelling day of the annual Hajj pilgrimage. Worshippers from all over the world will climb the rocky, 70-metre (230-feet) hill, about 20 kilometres (12 miles) from Mecca, where the Prophet Mohammed is believed to have given his last sermon. The desert summer heat is …

Kwara State Muslim Pilgrims Board has announced the death of two of its pilgrims who returned to their maker in Medina, Saudi Arabia. A statement by the Executive Secretary Kwara State Pilgrims Welfare Board, Abdulsalam Abdulkadir, yesterday said the Board “deeply regrets these sad events, but submits totally to the decree and ultimate knowledge of Allaah in all affairs”. The …

The Kwara State Governor, Mallam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has called on the intending Hajj pilgrims from the state to be good ambassadors, just as he announced a gift of $100 each to them. He made the call on Thursday while bidding farewell to the fifth batch of the 2024 intending pilgrims, at the Babatunde Idi-Agbon International Airport, Ilorin. About 3,102 pilgrims …

Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has approved payment of $100 shortfall in Basic Travel Allowance (BTA) of pilgrims. Some had protested alleged irregularities in BTA after they were given $400 as against $500 announced by the National Hajj Commission (NAHCON). NAHCON calculated hajj fares and $500 BTA using N1,252.01 to $1 exchange rate, but Central Bank released BTA at N1,530.86 …

A total of 7,582 Nigerian pilgrims have been transported to Medina, Saudi Arabia, in the first phase of the 2024 Hajj exercise. They were airlifted in five days after the inaugural flight for this year’s hajj at Sir Ahmadu Bello International Airport (SABIA) in Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi State, which Vice President Kashim Shettima flagged off. The exercise entered its 5th …

The Federal Government has come under fire for its recent decision to subsidise the 2024 Hajj with N90 billion despite allocating only N50 billion for the student loan scheme in the 2024 budget. Education and legal experts have slammed the decision, noting that spending such a humongous amount of money to subsidise Hajj is a misplacement of priority. Representing President …