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NAHCON returns 17,347 pilgrims to Nigeria, concludes airlift for nine states
The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) says it has airlifted 17,347 Nigerian pilgrims from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
NAHCON, in an update on the airlift operation, also said that nine states had completed the return of their pilgrims.
The commission listed the states that have completed their return airlift as Nasarawa, Gombe, Kogi, Oyo, Osun, Ogun, Jigawa, Kwara, and Plateau.
It said that Lagos, Kebbi and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) had gone above 65 per cent to 80 per cent.
“The return airlift of Nigerian pilgrims has entered its tenth day and is progressing steadily in line with return leg slots allocation secured by each of the official air carriers.
“As of the time of this report, a total of 17, 347 have been transported from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to Nigeria.
“Some states have successfully concluded the return journey of their pilgrims, while others have reached various stages of completion,” the commission said.
The commission, however, said some states had yet to commence their return flights following NAHCON’s first-in, first-out policy enforced on each airline.
“For instance, pilgrims from the South-South states departed Nigeria on May 19, 2026, while Kano pilgrims commenced their outbound airlift from Nigeria on May 16, 2026 and Kaduna pilgrims on 14th May, 2026.
“States yet to begin the return journey are Adamawa, Bayelsa, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Delta, Edo, Ekiti, Enugu, Imo, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Niger, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe and Zamfara states, as well as the Armed Forces.
“As for Adamawa and Taraba states that began their airlift fairly early, their official carrier is still airlifting its allocated pilgrims proportionate to its secured airlift slots,” NAHCON said.
According to the commission, the return schedule is determined by the airlift slots secured by the designated airlines.
It advised the designated airlines to take measures to complete the airlift within the agreed 19-day window, which was planned to cover the period for pilgrims’ accommodation, feeding, transport, and medical services.
“As backed by contractual agreements, the commission will implement a contingency rescue plan if it becomes obvious that any airline cannot meet up with the schedule,” the commission said.
Meanwhile, the Chairman and CEO of NAHCON, Ismail Yusuf, assured all pilgrims, their families and the general public of the timely return of every Nigerian pilgrim.
Mr Yusuf said that all Nigerian pilgrims would be airlifted back home well before the Saudi deadline for departure, which falls on the 15th of Muharram, the Gregorian date of which is June 30.
“NAHCON appreciates the cooperation of pilgrims and their families, the airlines and all stakeholders, and will continue to provide regular updates on the return airlift operations,” he said.
(NAN)
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Just-In: Abduljabar Adama Keeps Nigeria’s Hopes Alive, Storms Into Commonwealth Games 50m Freestyle Semi-Finals
Nigeria’s Abduljabar Adama kept the country’s swimming hopes alive on Day Two of the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, producing an impressive performance to qualify for the men’s 50m freestyle semi-finals at the Tollcross International Swimming Centre.
Competing in a highly competitive Heat 7, Adama rose to the occasion against a quality field that included Australia’s Flynn Southam, England’s Jacob Mills, Canada’s Antoine Sauvé, and Northern Ireland’s Matthew Hamilton. The Nigerian sprint swimmer finished strongly to secure one of the qualifying places for the semi-finals, becoming Nigeria’s lone representative in the next stage of the event.
It was, however, a disappointing outing for compatriot Clinton Opute, who competed in Heat 8 alongside Australia’s Jamie Jack, South Africa’s Michael Houlie, The Bahamas’ Lamar Taylor, and Fiji’s Hansel McCaig. Despite a determined effort, Opute’s time was not enough to earn one of the coveted semi-final spots, bringing his campaign in the event to an end.
Adama’s qualification is another significant milestone in his rapidly developing career. The young Nigerian has earned a reputation as one of Africa’s brightest sprint prospects after setting the African junior record in the 50m freestyle, and his latest performance reinforces his growing status on the international stage.
Sports247, reporting from Glasgow, observed jubilant celebrations from the Nigerian camp after Adama’s qualification was confirmed. With the semi-finals scheduled later on Day Two, the Nigerian will now aim to produce another explosive swim as he targets a historic place in the Commonwealth Games final.
After Team Nigeria’s outstanding medal haul in para powerlifting on the opening day, Adama’s progression provides another positive storyline for the Nigerian contingent as the Games gather momentum in Glasgow.
An Aero Contractors flight travelling from Lagos to Abuja on Saturday morning returned to its departure airport after the crew reported a technical issue while the aircraft was airborne.
The aircraft, which departed Lagos at about 7:30 a.m., had travelled part of the route mid air before the flight crew decided to discontinue the journey and return to Lagos as a precautionary safety measure.
Passengers were safely evacuated after the aircraft landed, and no injuries were reported.
A passenger aboard the flight told PREMIUM TIMES that the cabin became unusually hot while the aircraft was in the air, causing anxiety among passengers.
According to the passenger, the crew informed those on board that the aircraft had developed a technical problem and would return to Lagos but did not disclose the exact nature of the fault.
“There was a lot of panic because people did not know exactly what had happened. We were only told there was a technical problem and that we had to return to Lagos,” the passenger said.
As of 10:10 a.m., the affected passengers had begun boarding another Aero Contractors aircraft to continue their journey to Abuja, according to one of the passengers who spoke with PREMIUM TIMES.
PREMIUM TIMES contacted Aero Contractors for comments on the incident, including the nature of the reported technical issue, the reason for the aircraft’s return to Lagos and the arrangements made for affected passengers.
However, the airline had yet to respond as of the time this report was filed.
Recent incidents
Saturday’s occurrence comes about two months after a Max Air flight from Abuja to Katsina made an emergency return to the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport shortly after take-off following a reported technical fault.
As previously reported by PREMIUM TIMES, passengers on the May 2026 flight recounted hearing loud banging sounds from the aircraft before it reportedly lost altitude briefly and struggled to stabilise, prompting the pilot to return to Abuja as a safety precaution. The aircraft landed safely, and no injuries were reported.
READ ALSO: Benin runway excursion not crash or emergency landing Enugu Air CEO
The Aero Contractors incident also comes amid increased public attention to airline operations following Thursday’s runway excursion involving an Enugu Air Embraer E170 at Benin Airport.
Although all 63 passengers and five crew members escaped unhurt, the occurrence disrupted flight operations after the runway was temporarily closed, forcing Air Peace and United Nigeria Airlines to suspend flights to and from Benin while aircraft recovery and safety assessments were carried out.
While the circumstances surrounding the Aero Contractors, Max Air and Enugu Air incidents differ, they have renewed attention on operational reliability and safety across Nigeria’s aviation sector.
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