A total 1,300 Kano state Intending pilgrims may not perform this year’s Hajj following the inability of the Azman Airline to airlift the pilgrims.
Investigation by the Punch showed that only 1,386 out of the 2,686 intending pilgrims had so far been transported to the Holy land for the Hajj.
Read also: Police Arrest 3 suspected kidnappers, Rescue Victim In Kano
According to the investigation, out of the 1,300 stranded intending pilgrims, 86 had yet to get the visa as at time of filling this story.
However, speaking to journalists on Tuesday on the situation, the Executive Secretary of Kano State Pilgrims Welfare Board, Alhaji Abba Dambatta said that so far Azman Air had Airlifted 1,386 pilgrims to the Holy land while the remaining 1,300 were still on ground.
He expressed confidence that despite the obstacles associated with the Air Carrier in Air lifting the state pilgrims to the Holy land as scheduled, no single pilgrims will be left behind.
He said the reason why the board encountered so many obstacles was that it initially settled for Max Air to Airlift all the pilgrims from Kano but only to be overruled by NAHCON that “We are to work with Azman Air which we rejected at the initial stage”.
Read also: Embrace tolerance, Sultan urges Nigerians
Dambatta explained that despite all the correspondence to allow the state employ the services of Max Airline, the NAHCON insisted that Azman Air are the recommended Air Carrier no more less.
He said he had to inform the Governor Abdullahi Ganduje on the development and he personally went to Abuja and appealed to NAHCON to allow the state patronised Max Airline but turned down the request put forward by the governor.
The Executive Secretary, however revealed that since the resolve of the Board with Azman Air to continue with the Hajj exercise, so far, it has carried out five trips to the Holy land.
“The first Aircraft transported 399 pilgrims, the second batch was 97, the third batch was 95, while the fourth batch had three 395 and the final batch was 100 pilgrims on board.
Read also: Amnesty condemns intimidation of Sokoto female activist, Hamdiyya
When contacted, the General Manager of Azman Air, Alhaji Suleiman Lawan said they are on top of the situation .
He said they have since communicated to NAHCON on their inability to Airlift all the Kano pilgrims to the Holy land and promised to provide two more big Aircrafts to help evacuate the stranded pilgrims.
