Nigeria is in a race to airlift the remaining 20,000 hajj pilgrims still stranded across the states to Madinah, Saudi Arabia by August 6.
That date is the deadline by the Saudi authorities for all pilgrims to evacuate the city and arrive Mecca.
It is expected that after that date, the Prince Mohammed Abdulaziz International Airport will no longer be receiving pilgrims.
Medinah hosts some of Islamic holy sites. Majority of the pilgrims usually converge there in deference to Prophet Muhammad, before they head to Mecca for the hajj rites that will climax with the Muslim Eid Al-Adha festival on August 11.
The expected arrival of the FCT contingents aboard two batches of flights on Tuesday will increase the number of Nigerian pilgrims that have arrived in Medinah to 26,000. Chief Press Secretary to Governor Sanwo-Olu. Read more