The National Hajj Commission ofNigeria (NAHCON) has directed all states pilgrims welfare boards to provide three free meals for their Pilgrims while in Muna and Arafat.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the directive was part of the resolution reached at a meeting between the commission and officials of all the states pilgrims boards and the FCT held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Speaking with NAN in Makkah on the outcome of the meeting, the secretary of the Bauchi State Amirul Hajj Committee, Alhaji Aliyu Bakoji, said that the provision of free meals for Pilgrims at Muna and Arafat was to ensure proper sanitation in all the 36 states' camps in the two holy sites.

He said that although the National Amirul Hajj had dispatched letters to all states pilgrims boards on the new directive, many states were yet to receive such directives.

Bakoji said, however, that Bauchi State could not guarantee the provision of three free meals to its more than 3,000 pilgrims at the two sites but assured that the board would provide at least one free meal per day.

He said that in order to reduce the burden of movement on pilgrims, all female pilgrims from the state would be transported to Muna by midnight on Tuesday, while their male counterparts would be moved on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Bakoji said that all the airlines have released their manifests for the home journey with the first batch of pilgrims expected to leave Saudi on December 1.

He explained that homeward flights were expected to end on December 22, adding that airlines have been directed to strictly comply with their approved flight schedules.

Bakoji reminded pilgrims that they would not be allowed to carry more than 40 kg of luggage

NAN