Governor Ahmed Aliyu of Sokoto State has extended a generous gesture to mark the Eid-al-Adha festivities by offering financial support to the state’s pilgrims currently performing Hajj in Saudi Arabia.

Each of the 3,200 pilgrims from Sokoto will receive 1,000 Saudi Riyals, roughly ₦450,000, as a token of support from the state government.

The announcement came during the governor’s visit to the pilgrims in Mina on Saturday.

Addressing the faithful, Governor Aliyu congratulated them on completing their religious rites and noted that the financial assistance was to ease their stay and preparations ahead of their return to Nigeria.

Aliyu praised the pilgrims for conducting themselves with dignity and discipline, pointing out that there had been no reports of misconduct involving any pilgrim from Sokoto throughout the exercise.

“I am proud of the image you have portrayed. You have represented Sokoto State well and I thank you for that,” he said.

The governor reaffirmed his government’s continued dedication to the well-being of all Sokoto residents, including those fulfilling religious obligations abroad.

He further acknowledged the efforts of Alhaji Ummarun Kwabo, the State Amirul Hajj, and the Sokoto State Pilgrims Welfare Agency for what he described as a well-coordinated and successful Hajj operation.

He called on the pilgrims to offer prayers for peace and progress in Nigeria, particularly in addressing issues of insecurity and economic development.

Aliyu’s gesture is being widely seen as both a show of goodwill and a reaffirmation of his administration’s focus on religious and social welfare.

As the pilgrims begin preparations for their journey back home, the financial support comes as a timely relief and morale booster for many.

Meanwhile, Legit.ng reported that as the annual Hajj pilgrimage formally gets underway in Saudi Arabia, Nigerian pilgrims are preparing for a particularly scorching experience.

With temperatures expected to soar as high as 47°C, many pilgrims have equipped themselves with protective gear such as umbrellas, water bottles, and cooling flasks to help them cope with the harsh desert conditions, especially during the crucial Day of Arafat on Thursday.

Weather reports from the Saudi National Centre for Meteorology predict severe heat waves coupled with fluctuating humidity levels, a combination that poses serious health risks to the over 1.4 million pilgrims already in the Kingdom.

Last year, on Sunday, June 9, Legit.ng reported that the Kwara State Muslim Pilgrims Board stated that an investigation conducted by Saudi Arabian authorities into the death of one of its pilgrims revealed that the pilgrim committed suic*de in Madina.

According to the statement, another pilgrim from the state also died in Madina. One of the deceased, identified simply as Hajia Hawawu, died as a result of what the Saudi authorities found to be “an unfortunate suicidal episode from the rooftop of her apartment in Madina.”

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Source: Legit.ng