The new guidelines involve the systematic movement of pilgrims to be led by appointed guides in strict compliance with approved movement timetables and route schedules.
The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has released a new guideline on the process of pelting the Jamaraat, a major activity in performing the Hajj.
The Jaamrat are three stone structures in Mina, a valley outside the City of Makkah. They are the symbolic representation of the devil. These structures are pelted by pilgrims with small pebbles during the days of Hajj as part of the rites.
Muhammad Musa, the spokesperson of NAHCON's office in Makkah, in a statement issued on Saturday, said the Saudi authorities have introduced new modalities to reduce cases of stampedes and other accidents associated with the ritual.
In 2015, about 2,400 pilgrims lost their lives due to the stampede that occurred at the pedestrian bridges where pilgrims normally stand while stoning the devil.
Mr Musa explained that the new guidelines involves the systematic movement of pilgrims to be led by appointed guides in strict compliance with approved movement timetables and route schedules.
He further explained that pilgrims from Nigeria have been divided into 18 field offices, with each office containing between 5,000 and 7,000 pilgrims. He added that the pilgrims will be further divided into smaller groups for easy movement.
"Each field office will liaise with the states or tour operator companies under it to divide its pilgrims into groups of 188 pilgrims only.
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"Each of these groups will have a guide from the field office and an assistant from the officials or pilgrims who understands Arabic and the pilgrims' local language that will lead the group at their appointed time from their tents in Minw, through their approved route to the Jamaraat and back to their tents.
"Each group guide will hold a signpost containing three (3) fundamental pieces of information that every official and pilgrim should understand. The first (1st) and topmost is the logo of the Mutawwif Company; The Second (2nd) is the Field Office Number boldly written in red and the third (3rd) is the group number," he said.
To ensure compliance, Mr Musa disclosed that the government of Saudi Arabia has deployed 3,000 supervisors to monitor and evaluate the level of compliance of each Hajj contingent.
Over two million pilgrims from across the globe are participating in the 2023 Hajj. Of the figure, about 95,000 are from Nigeria.
