By Kadiri Abdulrahman
Nigerian pilgrims have successfully completed the Madinah leg of their spiritual journey and have been transported to the holy city of Makkah.
According to a statement by the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) in Makkah on Saturday, this marks the end of the first phase of the 2026 Hajj operations.
NAHCON said that the final batch of pilgrims, from Zamfara, Kano, Borno, and other remaining states, was dispatched from Madinah on Saturday, bringing to a close the Madinah Ziyarah (visitation) phase.
“With this last batch movement, every Nigerian pilgrim airlifted has now visited the Prophet’s Mosque and proceeded to Makkah for the next stage of the Hajj.
“Upon arrival in Makkah, the pilgrims are expected to commence their umrah (lesser Hajj).
“They will then await the coming days to proceed to Mina and onwards to Arafah, the defining day of the Hajj,” it said.
“It said that the conclusion of the Madinah movement was coordinated by the Madinah coordinator of NAHCON and the passport control team.
“They dispatched the pilgrims to Dhul-Hulayfah Miqat, where the Hijrah committee received them and oversaw their onward movement from the Miqat to Makkah.”
The commission noted that the smooth transition between the two phases reflected the coordinated efforts of NAHCON and its operational teams in ensuring a hitch-free Hajj for Nigerian pilgrims.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
Edited by Deji Abdulwahab
