By; Abdull-Azeez Ahmed Kadir.
Nigerian Armed Forces Pilgrims to the 2023 Hajj have decried being abandoned in Jeddah Airport more than 24 hours after being evacuated from Makkah by the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria NAHCON for a 7pm flight Saturday.
Speaking to Voice of Liberty and Liberty News via phone, one of the pilgrims, a retired General said they left Makkah 5pm Saturday 22 July, 2023 for a stipulated 7pm flight to Lagos by Azman, but later delayed to 5pm “with scanty information”.
In his word “we left Mecca at about 5pm over 300 of us. Old women, several Generals; serving and retired, and one Professor.
“Departure was planned for 7am but delayed till 5pm and with scanty information.
“Upon arrival at Jeddah, there was no concrete reception, no information and no guidance. NAHCON just kept all the pilgrims until Imam (Navy Capt) Migdad insisted on knowing the way forward. NAHCON announced the flight has been cancelled till 0800 hours Monday morning of 24 July, 2023.
“So some Generals (serving and retired) insisted on knowing the true situation before leaving the airport.
It is so disgusting the Armed Forces Hajj Team taken for granted 42 days in Mecca.”
Khadija Ibrahim, a NAHCON staff later addressed the pilgrims and informed them that AZMAN has undertaken to take them to a hotel in Jeddah to refresh and return to Jeddah Airport by 0330 hrs to fly to Ikeja.
But our source said “the Generals, serving and retired insisted in knowing the true sittuation before leaving Jeddah airport. 360 pilgrims taken for granted.
“This is a flagrant disregard for an Armed Forces group. Armed Forces should be treated with respect and given priority.”
Irked by the delay and having spent 42 days in Saudi Arabia, one of the pilgrims, also a General said “the NAHCON chief at King Abdulazeez Airport Jeddah, one Mr Girei snubbed the Armed Forces and sent one of his staff; Khadijat, a very polite lady yet with no relevant authority to handle any such sittuation”.
The Armed Forces Pilgrims 360 in number eventually departed the airport at 12:50am Saudi local time for the hotel apparently to spend about few hours and return to the airport.
NAHCON top staff could not be reached immediately for response as they might have gone to bed due to the late time of the situation.
But a source in NAHCON who pleaded anonymity said it is a standing rule in NAHCON that any airlines that delays take off for more than 24 hours will take and pay for the passengers hotel stay until departure.
He absolved NAHCON of any fault as the airline may not have communicated the delay to the commission. He said if the airline had hinted NAHCON of their situation, the Commission would have delayed ferrying the pilgrims to the airport.
When contacted, a source in Azman said the delay was not deliberately as the airline can not risk any chance of incurring extra expenses nor the wrath of Saudi aviation authorities.
He said they evacuate pilgrims by the slots alloted them by Saudi aviation authorities, and if any airline defaults, you risk the fine of 50,000 Saudi Riyals.
The delay according to him had to do with the situation in Kaduna International Airport that shutdown by 5pm daily. He said any aircraft that could not beat that time, would be forced to land somewhere else. In the case of the Hajj operations, they utilise Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano.
He however assured that the Armed Forces Pilgrims would be airlifted from Jeddah to Lagos on Sunday 23 July, 2023.
The pilgrims have been lodged in Al-Azhar Hotel Jeddah by AzmanAirline.
A revised schedule by Azman sighted by our Correspondent showed the airline will pick the pilgrims from the Al-Azhar Hotel, Jeddah on Sunday 23 July, 2023 by 0600 local time.
