National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) declared that 22,898 out of the total 66,000 Nigerian pilgrims to Saudi Arabia for the 2013 Hajj exercise have been returned back home within 11 days.

This was disclosed by the National Commissioner in charge of Policy, Personnel, Management, and
Finance  Alhaji Bayo Yusuf and Alhaji Uba Mana, spokesperson of the Commission on Tuesday, stating also that the commission had so far gone on 48 flights out of Saudi Arabia to Nigeria.

According to Yusuf, the Commission was using principle of first-come, first to-go policy, as those that left the country on inaugural flight on Saturday September 14, to Saudi Arabia were those that were transported back on October 19.

He also stated that the 30-day deadline for transportation of pilgrims back into the country was Tuesday, November 19.

Mana on the other hand assured family and friends of the remaining pilgrims in Saudi Arabia for this year’s Hajj that they would all be transported back home within the stipulated time.

``It is important for people to be patient as all of them cannot be transported at the same time. We have a time table that we are following on first come, first to go basis,’’ he said.

He declared however that the year’s Hajj exercise was so successful, stressing that everything went on
smoothly beyond imagination.