2024 Hajj: Ondo intending pilgrims 2nd batch airlifted to Medina
Ondo State Muslim pilgrims would today, Friday May 31, 2024 arrive Medinah in Saudi Arabia ahead of this year’s holy pilgrimage.
The Pilgrims were earlier split into two batches, when they were to be airlifted from Ilorin International airport on Wednesday.
Speaking in a chat with the Secretary of the Ondo state Muslim Welfare Board, Alhaji Mutiu Omoniyi explained that the first batch, numbering 314 from a total of 502 pilgrims were airlifted on Wednesday morning and had arrived Medinah at 8.00 pm.
The remaining 144 pilgrims, he said, would today, by 9.30 am, depart Ilorin international Airport for Medinah by 8.30 pm like their counterpart the previous day.
Explaining further on why the arrival is at Medinah instead of Mekkah for the holy pilgrimage, Omoniyi stated that all early arrivals have to stop over at Medinah for four days to make historical visitation within the city of Medinah before proceeding to Mekkah for the Hajj proper.
He stated that Hajj performance is just for five days which will hold in Mekkah and that only late entrants to the holy land would perform Hajj before historical visitation to Medinah.
The first pilgrims, he noted, would make their visitation and leave for Mekkah while those arriving today will perform theirs the next day and then leave for Mekkah where the delegates will join to perform the holy pilgrimage in Mekkah.
Omoniyi said the delegates were split in batches due to flight capacity, saying the aircraft they boarded has capacity for only 315 passengers.e
He also appreciated the pilgrims for adhering to the regulations guiding them, saying that the State pilgrims were rated best among those routed to go through the Ilorin International airport because they were earlier screened by the State welfare board to discard all unwanted items from their luggages.
