Age, pregnancy and other health-related issues have been identified as the major reasons for the drastic reduction in the number of Muslim pilgrims intending to go to the Holy land.
DAILY POST learned that no fewer than seven hundred Muslim faithful had earlier signified their intentions to perform this year’s hajj in the Holy land at the Republic of Saudi Arabia.
49 out of the 700 pilgrims earlier set to perform the pilgrimage were exempted from the trip by the state Muslim pilgrims board as a result of their age or health-related issues.
Confirming the decision by the board, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board, Hamza Banban Muri, said “initially, about seven hundred people have registered for this year’s exercise but due to the age, pregnancy, and other health-related issues, the number has reduced to only 651.”
While five hundred and fifty-one (551) intending pilgrims are self-sponsored, one hundred (100), according to him are being sponsored by the State government.
He also revealed that the intending pilgrims from the state are expected to leave Jalingo on Friday 24th June 2022 to Yola, Adamawa State where they will depart for Saudi Arabia hopefully on the evening of the same day.
Some of the pilgrims who spoke with our correspondent said they have completed all the necessary screening exercises and are only waiting to be conveyed to Adamawa for airlifting.
DAILY POST gathered that the Deputy Speaker of the Taraba State House of Assembly, Hamman Adama Muhammed, has been appointed as the 2022 Amirul Hajj by the state governor Darius Dickson Ishaku.
