Hundreds of Nigerian pilgrims who took part in the 2024 Hajj with registered tour operators were left stranded for several hours at King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah.
This information was reported by the 21st CENTURY CHRONICLE.
According to one of the stranded pilgrims, who wished to remain anonymous, over 300 Nigerians were scheduled to return to Abuja with Aero Contractors on Saturday night.
A ticket from one of the pilgrims indicated that their flight to Nigeria was scheduled for June 22 at 11:59 p.m.
However, when over 100 pilgrims arrived at King Abdulaziz International Airport on Saturday evening for their flight, they were surprised to learn from airport officials that their flight, Number 6112, was not scheduled.
To make matters worse, there was initial confusion about which terminal they should use. Some tour operators directed their clients to the North Terminal, while others sent them to the Hajj Terminal.
The pilgrims spent hours from 7 p.m. on Saturday until 2 a.m. on Sunday trying to find the correct boarding location.
Amidst the confusion, the pilgrims realized their flight to Abuja was not scheduled.
Later that night, they were informed that their flight had been changed to Number 2136, set to depart around 8 a.m. on Sunday.
Some pilgrims were forced to spend the night at the airport, facing harassment and threats of being sent back to Makkah by Saudi airport security.
By 7 a.m. on Sunday, they were told the flight would depart for Abuja at 10 a.m., but this did not happen. A Nigerian Embassy official in Saudi Arabia had to collect the passports of the present pilgrims to secure boarding passes for them.
At about 10 a.m., the pilgrims were asked to start check-in. They completed the necessary screening but were left waiting in the departure lounge from 11 a.m. onwards.
Further complications arose when one pilgrim reported that many had not received their passports back from their agents in Makkah. Agents typically confiscate passports upon arrival in Makkah and return them only on the day of the return flight after securing tickets.
Despite having their tickets, the Nigerian pilgrims struggled to retrieve their passports from their agents from Saturday night until Sunday afternoon.
As of 4:15 p.m. Saudi time and 2:15 p.m. Nigerian time, the pilgrims were still at the airport.
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