The first batch of intending pilgrims from Sokoto State for the 2026 Hajj exercise departed the Sultan Abubakar III International Airport, Sokoto, in the early hours of Monday.
The aircraft, operated by UMZA Airline, took off at about 6:21 a.m. with 484 pilgrims on board en route to the Prince Mohammad Bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Madinah, Saudi Arabia.
The pilgrims comprised 304 males and 180 females drawn from Tambuwal, Tureta, Wamakko, Sabon Birni, Isa, Shagari and Dange/Shuni local government areas of the state.
Speaking before the departure, Governor Ahmad Aliyu Sokoto, represented by his deputy, Idris Muhammad Gobir, said the state government had put adequate measures in place to ensure the welfare and security of the pilgrims throughout the exercise.
He urged the pilgrims to be good ambassadors of the state, stressing that the people of Sokoto were widely known for discipline, peaceful conduct and respect for constituted authority.
The governor described Hajj as a spiritual exercise that requires patience, humility and total obedience to Islamic teachings.
He also urged the pilgrims to pray for lasting peace, unity and development in Sokoto State and Nigeria during their stay in the holy land.
Also speaking, the Amirul Hajj and Chairman of the State Hajj Committee, Alhaji Muhammadu Maigari Dingyadi, expressed satisfaction with the level of preparation for the exercise.
Dingyadi, who is also the Minister of Labour and Employment, said all necessary arrangements had been concluded to sure a smooth and hitch-free Hajj operations.
According to him, committees responsible for transportation, feeding, accommodation and other welfare services had already been deployed both in Nigeria and Saudi Arabia.
He disclosed that Sokoto State would operate five flights to airlift its 2,404 intending pilgrims for the 2026 Hajj exercise.
Dingyadi added that all logistics and operational arrangements at the airport had been fully put in place to facilitate seamless movement of pilgrims.
He further advised the pilgrims to respect the laws of Saudi Arabia and conduct themselves in line with Islamic values throughout the pilgrimage.
‘The Hajj journey requires discipline, patience and total submission to the rules guiding the exercise,’ he said.