The maiden flight of this year’s Hajj exercise from Katsina state departed on Monday morning with 554 pilgrims.
The airliner, Max air NGL 3021 according to NAHCON left Umaru Musa Yar’adua International Airport for Madina at about 3.30am. On board the flight are 366 males and 188 females.
Shedding more details, the spokesman of the state pilgrims boad, Badaru Karofi said the pilgrims were drawn from Bakori, Danja, Dandume, Faskari and some parts of Sabuwa and Funtua local governments.
Already , he said, screening pilgrims for the second flight has commenced in earnest with pilgrims from Dutsinma, Ingawa, Batsari, Danmusa, kurfi, and the remaining of Funtua local governments which are scheduled for airlift today.
In a related development, the state Governor Aminu Masari during a farewell for the pilgrims had urged them to exhibit high sense of decorum and behaviour in the holy land and report attitudes of non challant officials for appropriate action.
While assuring that government has put all modalities on ground to ensure a hitch free exercise, Masari calls for cooperation from all stakeholders to achieved the set objective.
Earlier, the Executive Director of the state pilgrims welfare board, Abu Rimi said about 2800 pilgrims are expected to perform the exercise from the state.
