About 4,000 Muslim pilgrims stranded at a northern Nigerian airport protested at flight delays to Saudi Arabia for the Hajj.
The original deadline for flights to Jeddah was Wednesday, but until now none of the pilgrims stranded at the Kano airport left.
Nigeria asked the Saudis for a 72-hour extension, but they didn’t reply.
Officials say they still can make it by paying a $53,000 fine for each aircraft that lands late in Jeddah.
One correspondent says the governors of at least two northern states have been at the airport with the pilgrims but despite assurances aircraft have still failed to appear.
More than two million Muslims go to the holy city of Mecca each year to perform Hajj.
Every able adult Muslim, is required to perform the Hajj, one of the man five pillars of Islam, at least once in his life.
Source: BBC
The original deadline for flights to Jeddah was Wednesday, but until now none of the pilgrims stranded at the Kano airport left.
Nigeria asked the Saudis for a 72-hour extension, but they didn’t reply.
Officials say they still can make it by paying a $53,000 fine for each aircraft that lands late in Jeddah.
One correspondent says the governors of at least two northern states have been at the airport with the pilgrims but despite assurances aircraft have still failed to appear.
More than two million Muslims go to the holy city of Mecca each year to perform Hajj.
Every able adult Muslim, is required to perform the Hajj, one of the man five pillars of Islam, at least once in his life.
Source: BBC
