Alhaji Abdulsalam Abdulkadir, Executive Secretary Kwara State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board, has urged intending pilgrims from the state to fully acquaint themselves with necessary rituals of the Hajj.
A statement by the board PRO, Jimoh Falilat Jumoke, said Abdulkadir, at an enlightenment session on Saturday, told the pilgrims the lecture was to perfect their endeavours and make their Hajj successful.
He said that each of the pilgrims would get $700 BTA each instead of the initial $800 because of the hike in air fare component of the Hajj fare occasioned by the ongoing Sudan War which has led to the closure of the Sudanese airspace.
He however assured that intending pilgrims who have completed their payment would not be made to pay any additional money while those who made excess payment would be refunded after the completion of the exercise.
The executive secretary commended the state government for providing the state the required logistics towards the success of the exercise.
The Grand Khadi of the state, Justice Abdullateef Kamaldeen, who delivered the lecture admonished the intending pilgrims to pay heed to the various lessons given by the various clerics and the board members.
He said that the knowledge would ease the process of the Hajj as well as make them attain the required faith to gain the reward for the exercise from Allah.
He also demonstrated to them how to perform circumambulation of the Kaába (Tawaf) while in Makkah.
Chairman of the Board, Dr Abdulkadir Sambaqi, who did the opening prayer, urged the pilgrims to be attentive and follow all the instructions given to them.
He said the board is working round the clock towards making their stay a spiritually rewarding one.
Several agencies of the government were in attendance to educate the pilgrims.
The agencies included the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Nigeria Customs Service (NCS); the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA); the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), among others.
Representatives of the agencies admonished the pilgrims not to engage in acts that would bring disrepute to the state and the country in general.
The NDLEA for instance informed the pilgrims on the severity of carrying contraband drugs or narcotics to the holy land, saying Saudi Arabia has a death penalty in place for anyone convicted of drug trafficking.
