Following the successful completion of the 2026 Hajj rites in the Holy Land, the first and second batches of the 2026 Hajj pilgrims from Oyo State are scheduled to depart Makkah, Saudi Arabia, for Nigeria on June 5 and 6 respectively.
The two batches, comprising 630 pilgrims, both male and female, are expected to reunite with their families in Nigeria before the end of the week considering the approved flight schedule.
This was disclosed in a statement signed by the Chairman of the Oyo State Muslim Pilgrims’ Welfare Board, Sheikh Abdul-Wahab Atere Hashim Olamide, JP, and made available to journalists on Tuesday, June 2, by the Commissioner for Information, Prince Dotun Oyelade.
According to the statement, the pilgrims would be airlifted by Air Peace Airline through the King Abdulaziz International Airport, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
The statement stressed the need for pilgrims to ensure that their luggage does not exceed the approved 46 kilogrammes of two 23kg bags allocated to each pilgrim, noting that the total allowable weight, including hand luggage of 8kg, remains 52 kilogrammes.
Sheikh Atere also disclosed that each pilgrim would receive five litres of Zam-Zam water upon arrival in Nigeria, adding that the water had already been delivered to the country.
While appreciating the pilgrims for the love, patience, and cooperation demonstrated throughout the Hajj exercise, the Board Chairman urged them to continue to be worthy ambassadors of Oyo State.
He prayed for the safe return and continued progress of the pilgrims, their families, and well-wishers, while also wishing them divine favour and success in their future endeavours.
Sheikh Atere further prayed for the success of the administration of Governor Seyi Makinde, sustained peace and development in Oyo State, and an end to insecurity across the state and Nigeria as a whole.
Before departing the Holy City, the pilgrims are expected to perform the farewell Tawaf (Tawaf al-Wada’), the final rite observed by pilgrims in the Grand Mosque in Makkah.
It would be recalled that the Oyo State pilgrims departed Mina on May 29, 2026, after successfully completing the three-day symbolic stoning of the Jamarat, one of the major rites of the Hajj pilgrimage.
