Over 400 Kano state Intending pilgrims were on Sunday left stranded for more than 24 hours by an air carrier, Azman, at Hajj camp in Kano.
The Executive Secretary of the Kano State Pilgrims Welfare Board, Alhaji Mohammad Abba Danbatta stated this while addressing newsmen.
“Yesterday Azman directed us to call our pilgrims for airlift to Saudi Arabia, we summon 0ver 400 pilgrims for screening at the camp, and the pilgrims were left stranded for over 24 hours,” he said.
Mr Danbatta, therefore, assured the stranded pilgrims that NAHCON has hired another air carrier from Saudi Arabia that will airlift all the remaining pilgrims before the closing date. .
“The board intimated NAHCON on the recent development in Kano and the commission resolved that AZMAN Air cannot fulfil this assignment, therefore, hire an air carrier company from Saudi Arabia named Flyners air, that can contain over 400 pilgrims at a time,” he explained.
Mr Danbatta attributed the slow pace of the airlift of the state pilgrims to Saudi Arabia to the incapability of the Air carrier assigned by NAHCON to airlift the pilgrims.
According to him, since the commencement of the hajj operations Azman airlifted only 975 pilgrims.
He said that before the commencement of the airlift of Pilgrim to Saudi Arabia the board has formally written to NAHCON seeking for it’s approval to allow Max air to uplift its pilgrims.
On his part the public relations officer of Azman Air, Nuruddeen Mohammad said they were directed by NAHCON to concentrate on the airlift of kaduna Pilgrim’s, saying they will collaborate with another airline to uplift all Kano pilgrims within the stipulated time.
Abdullahi Jalaluddeen