Don’t carry Zamzam water in your luggages, NAHCON urges pilgrims

As the return journey of Nigerian pilgrims back home from Saudi Arabia intensifies, the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) on Monday urged the pilgrims to avoid inserting Zamzam water in their luggages.

This according to the hajj body, was with a view to avoiding the luggages to be opened to remove the bottles of water at baggage screening centres.

The warning was contained in a statement issued by NAHCON Assistant Director, Public Affairs, Fatima Sanda Usara, urging pilgrim officials to guide their pilgrims accordingly.

“Pilgrims are urged not to insert bottles of Zamzam water in their luggage, be it hand luggage or check-in bags. This is to avoid their cases being opened in order to remove the bottles at baggage screening centres. 

“Please, pilgrims should take note and act accordingly. Pilgrims officials are encouraged to guide their pilgrims on the matter accordingly,” she stated.

The Zamzam water is highly sought after by pilgrims to take back home as a result of its spiritual benefits as prescribed by Holy Prophet Muhammad and its importance.

In another development, a total of 3,133 pilgrims have as of Monday afternoon returned to Nigeria in a total of seven flights. The figure is excluding pilgrims with private tour operators.

Saudi Arabian airline, FlyNas, has so far had five flights, while its Nigerian counterpart, Max Air had two as of Monday morning.

A total of 423 pilgrims from the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) made the maiden inbound flight on July 15 from Jeddah international airport to the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja through FlyNas at about 8:18am Saudi Arabian time (6:18 am Nigerian time).

Another batch of 424 FCT pilgrims left Jeddah for Abuja at about 2:58am Saudi time, also on a FlyNas flight, on Saturday, July 16.

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Later same Saturday, 420 pilgrims from Osun State with nine officials departed Jeddah for Abuja with FlyNas at 11:21 pm (Saudi time).

At about 5:48 am on Sunday, July 17, 515 Borno State pilgrims left Jeddah for Maiduguri with, a Nigerian airline, Max Air, with four officials onboard.

Later on Sunday night, 430 Lagos State pilgrims departed Jeddah for Lagos aboard FlyNas flight.

On Monday at about 4:28 am (Saudi time) 515 Nasarawa State pilgrims left Jeddah for Abuja with Max Air, while at 2:42 pm, 403 FCT pilgrims, and three Kebbi State pilgrims with 19 officials left for Abuja with FlyNas flight.

The return flights, according to NAHCON, “follow the same pattern of their arrival into the Kingdom (of Saudi Arabia) for symmetry. To wit, for a flight that transported 515 pilgrims during an outbound trip, the same number of slots is reserved for them on the corresponding inbound flight to Nigeria. 

“The other seats are utilized by the airlines as agreed. Therefore, NAHCON ensures that the same number of pilgrims board the aircraft for dispatch back home.”