• Home
  • News
    • African News
    • Nigerian
    • World
    • News UK
    • Politics
  • Sports
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Health
Nigerian Watch Newspaper
Nigerian Watch Newspaper
 
 
  • Home
  • News
    • African News
    • Nigerian
    • World
    • News UK
    • Politics
  • Sports
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Health
Home
News
World

Nigeria will not send pilgrims to Saudi Arabia again this year as Covid-19 restrictions remain in place

June 13th, 2021 News, Nigerian, Politics, World comments

Nigeria will not send pilgrims to Saudi Arabia again this year as Covid-19 restrictions remain in place

NATIONAL Hajj Commission of Nigeria (Nahcon) officials have announced that there will be no religious pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia in 2021 for the second year in a row pointing out that the suspension of operations in the wake of Covid-19 remains in place.

 

Historically, about 80,000 Nigerian Muslims make the religious pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina every year, making the country the seventh largest provider of pilgrims. In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, however, Nigeria did not send any pilgrims to Saudi Arabia in 2020 and with the World Health Organisation yet to offer the all-clear, this suspension will remain in place for 2021.

 

Nahcon spokesperson, Hadjia Fatima Sanda, said that Saudi Arabia is limiting the number of pilgrims who can visit to miniscule numbers and as such, Nigeria will not be participating in this year’s exercise. Saudi Arabia had announced the need to limit the annual Muslim spiritual rites to only 60,000 pilgrims and strictly to local citizens and foreigners residing in the country.

 

Saudi Arabia’s ministries of health and hajj, said the kingdom puts human health and safety first. They added that those wishing to perform this year’s hajj must be free of any chronic diseases and be within the ages from 18 to 65 years and be vaccinated against the coronavirus in line with local health guidelines.

 

Hadjia Sanda, said: “We have accepted that it is Allah’s divine design that multitudes will again this year not perform the hajj. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is only playing out a script ordained by our maker long before creation of the universe and our prayer is that we collectively turn to Him in repentance so that He admits us for hajj in the coming years.”

 

Nahcon chairman, Alhaji Zikrullah Hassan, commended the resilience of Nigerian intending pilgrims and the support they had exhibited during the long and tortuous wait, including their adherence to each instruction given by the commission. He added that as happened last year, pilgrims seeking a refund of their hajj deposits would be paid without any delay.

  • Tags
  • Alhaji Zikrullah Hassan
  • coronavirus
  • Covid-19
  • Hadjia Fatima Sanda
  • hajj
  • Nahcon
  • National Hajj Commission of Nigeria
  • Saudi Arabia
Facebook Twitter Google+ LinkedIn WhatsApp
Next article President Buhari should respond to the Democracy Day protests by sending this Economic Equilibrium Bill to the National Assembly immediately
Previous article US steps up pressure on Buhari saying Twitter ban has no place in a democratic government

Related Posts

Osogbo court rules that Senator Adeleke is the bonafide PDP gubernatorial candidate African News

Osogbo court rules that Senator Adeleke is the bonafide PDP gubernatorial candidate

Federal government slams Northern Elders Forum for saying some parts of Nigeria could secede African News

Federal government slams Northern Elders Forum for saying some parts of Nigeria could secede

Abuja high court strikes out six fresh charges brought against Ipob leader Nnamdi Kanu African News

Abuja high court strikes out six fresh charges brought against Ipob leader Nnamdi Kanu

Facebook Comments

 

Follow Us on Facebook


Follow us on Twitter


Follow nigerianwatch on TwitterTweet

  • About us
  • Legal agreement
  • Privacy policy
  • Contact us
  • Back to top
© 2012 - Nigerian Watch. All rights reserved.
Website by Mouldme.com