Nigerian pilgrims still stranded in Mecca

Sola Adekola, Lagos - 04.01.2008

Scores of Nigerian pilgrims who returned to the country through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport on Thursday said that many pilgrims were still stranded in the holy land while luggage of those who have arrived are yet to arrive days after the owners have arrived.

The development came even as security officers positioned at the international airport became frustrated by families of the pilgrims who often besieged the airport to welcome their loved ones arriving from hajj.

The airport, which prior to now, usually become congested during flight arrivals, had become more congested in the last few days as it had almost become impossible for the securitymen to control the families of the arriving pilgrims.

Disclosing this to some journalists, some of the pilgrims who came with Medview Airline, one of the official carriers for the hajj exercise, lamented the treatment they received from the airlines and their travel agents.

Some of the pilgrims said they arrived the country nine days ago, while efforts made to receive their luggage failed as they were told that the luggage were yet to arrive from the holy land.

Besides this, many pilgrims were said to be stranded in the holy land based on what the pilgrims said was caused by the Federal Government’s decision to prevent the international hajj operators from selecting their own airlines.