The Kwara State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board has announced that the first batch of intending pilgrims for the 2025 Hajj will depart for Saudi Arabia on May 12 from the Ilorin International Airport.
The Executive Secretary of the Board, Abdulsalam Abdulkadir, disclosed this on Sunday during a sensitisation programme organised for intending pilgrims in Ilorin. He noted that the second, third, and final batches would leave on May 14, 16, and 17, respectively.
“Our preparations are almost complete,” Abdulkadir said. “Visas have been processed for all 2,174 intending pilgrims, and arrangements for accommodation and catering services in Saudi Arabia are in place.”
He also announced that essential items would be distributed in stages: vaccines on April 28, uniforms on April 30, and travel bags on May 1.
Abdulkadir added that pilgrims who paid above the fixed Hajj fee of N8.4 million would be refunded after their return. “Those who overpaid will be duly reimbursed once the pilgrimage concludes,” he assured.
Also speaking at the event, Justice Abdul-Lateef Kamaldeen, Grand Khadi of the State Sharia Court of Appeal, counselled the intending pilgrims to approach the holy journey with reverence and humility.
“Hajj is a sacred obligation. It must be undertaken with patience, sincerity, and the fear of Allah,” Kamaldeen emphasized during his lecture on Hajj rituals and responsibilities.
The sensitisation programme was attended by several stakeholders, including the former Executive Secretary of the Board, Alhaji Mohammed Tunde-Jimoh, who lauded the ongoing preparations.
