LIFESTYLE Culture

2025 Hajj: First batch of FCT pilgrims returns

by admin on | 2025-06-23 12:16:44

Share: Facebook | Twitter | Whatsapp | Linkedin Visits: 7

---

2025 Hajj: First batch of FCT pilgrims returns

…board warns against contraband…

By Abdullahi Muhammad

Abuja

The first return flight conveying 425 pilgrims from the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) who performed this year’s Hajj exercise has arrived safely at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

The flight, which departed Jeddah earlier in the day, marks the beginning of the return phase of the 2025 Hajj operations coordinated by the FCT Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board.

Confirming the arrival, the Board reassured families and loved ones that efforts are underway to ensure a smooth and timely return of all remaining pilgrims in the coming days.

According to officials, the second return flight is scheduled for Monday, June 23, 2025. The Board further stressed that logistics and coordination challenges are being addressed to prevent unnecessary delays.

However, incidents at Jeddah Airport during the departure of the first group have prompted warnings from the Board.

Some pilgrims were subjected to intense scrutiny during luggage checks, with authorities removing contraband items including bottles of water, soft drinks, metal objects, and baggage exceeding the 8kg weight limit.

Witnesses reported that some items were confiscated and scattered on the terminal floor, leading to scenes of discomfort and embarrassment for the affected pilgrims.

Reacting to the development, the Director of the Board, Malam Kadiri Edah, urged pilgrims still in the Holy Land to strictly comply with all baggage regulations to avoid similar incidents.

He also called for stepped-up education and sensitisation efforts by the offshore team, noting that repeated violations could jeopardise the overall integrity of the return operations. “We must intensify enlightenment. Obedience to the rules is not optional,” he said.

The Board’s Head of Education and Orientation, Muhammad Usman, echoed the Director’s concerns and instructed clerics and mission officials to continuously remind pilgrims of the dos and don’ts of their return journey.