The Niger State Pilgrims Welfare Board said it had secured decent accommodation close to Haram for its 2,264 pilgrims in Makkah, Saudi Arabia.
Executive Secretary of the state Pilgrims Welfare Board, Alhaji Umar Maku, disclosed this while addressing newsmen in Minna on Friday.
Maku said Max Airline would transport the pilgrims in five different flights to Saudi Arabia.
He explained that the board secured decent accommodation near Haram to enable the state’s pilgrims to visit the Grand Mosque without difficulty.
Maku said the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah had imposed social distancing of at least 4 metres space between beds.
He said Saudi Arabia had also centralised all medical services to National Hajj Commission, to address minor health issues as regards to COVID-19 measures.
The States would cater for minor health issues of their pilgrims.
“We have sufficient health personnel with basic health facilities to manage all health care needs of our respective pilgrims while in Saudi Arabia,” he said.
He said the board had also set up a mobile clinic to transport pilgrims needing medical aid to different locations in the holy land.
” We are concerned with the health of our pilgrims in order to enable them to perform all the rituals without hindrance.
“Our medical personnel will be on ground while our pilgrims are transported to Hajj ritual areas in case of any health crisis.
” We also secured 10 buses to transport our pilgrims from Makkah to Mina, Madina to Jedda and all Hajj ritual sites for effective conduct of the Hajj operations, ” Maku said.
Maku said the board had secured the services of 25 Islamic scholars to work as translators and guide to the pilgrims while in the holy land.
” We are sponsoring 25 male scholars and 10 females to properly guide the pilgrims during Tawaf at Kaaba, holy Masjid Haram, Arafat and other ritual sites,” he said.
He appealed to the pilgrims to desist from carrying prohibited items and to obey Saudi Arabia’s law during and after Hajj activities.