Kaduna State Pilgrims Welfare Agency has airlifted the last batch of its pilgrims from Saudi Arabia to Nigeria yesterday.
A statement issued by the spokesperson of the agency, Malam Yunusa Mohammed Abdullahi, on Wednesday, noted that the outbound journey had 56 persons on board Max Air, adding that most of them were officials.
The spokesperson recalled that Kaduna State had the highest Hajj contingent from Nigeria, with 4,767 pilgrims, regretting that three pilgrims had died in the holy land.
He quoted the Executive Chairman of the agency, Malam Salihu S. Abubakar, as commending Governor Uba Sani for providing all necessary assistance to ensure a hitch-free Hajj exercise.
The executive chairman also disclosed that the governor gave the management freehand to run the agency throughout the pilgrimage.
Yunusa said Malam Salihu thanked the Amirul Hajj, Engineer Suleiman Umar, who is also the Emir of Lere, for his guidance and fatherly role throughout the exercise.
He also commended the pilgrims for their orderly conduct during the pilgrimage, adding that they largely complied with both the Hajj guidelines and the laws of Saudi Arabia.
The spokesman also said that the executive chairman praised management and staff of the agency, as well as Hajj officials, for the smooth conduct of the 2024 pilgrimage.