Sudan crisis:NAHCON boss sues for peace,over 2,000 Nigerians evacuated

 By correspondent.

The Chairman/Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of, the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria,   NAHCON, Alhaji Zikrullah Kunle Hassan, has appealed to the warring generals and their followers in Sudan to sheath their sword and restore peace to the war-torn country in the interest of Islam and innocent pilgrims.

He appealed a one-day workshop organized by the commission in collaboration with the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah at the conference hall of the Hajj House in Abuja on Saturday.

Our correspondent gathered that the workshop, entitled, “Training and Capacity Building for pilgrims groups and Leaders in Hajj”, is part of the efforts by the Commission in training  Nigerian Hajj managers on crowd control and management communication skills, information, and awareness campaigns.

The NAHCON boss, who noted that the crisis in Sudan led to extra costs for the pilgrims, prayed for a quick and peaceful resolution to the problem.assuring them that there would be no further changes in the hajj fares paid.

He further assured intending pilgrims that despite the $250 increment imposed by the air carriers, due to the crisis, NAHCON would not impose the extra cost on them, adding that the Commission had begun consultations to find a solution to the closure of air space in Sudan.

The Reporters, an online publication, gather that  Nigerian intending pilgrims are scheduled to be airlifted to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for the 2023 Hajj, by NAHCON, in less than three weeks from now.

According to Aljazeera, the conflict that broke out a month ago has killed hundreds of people, sent more than 200,000 to neighboring states, displaced another 700,000 inside the country, and risks drawing in outside powers and stabilizing the region.

The international media organization notes that the two sides had battled through previous truces and have shown no sign of being willing to compromise. Although the RSF has promised to uphold Thursday’s agreement, the army has not yet commented on it among other sour consequences.

No fewer than 2,246 Nigerians have so far been evacuated from Sudan according to 

Head of Media, Public Relations and Protocols Unit, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Alhaji Abdur-Rahman Balogun, who disclosed this on Friday in Abuja when he gave updates on the Federal Government’s evacuation which began on May 3.

Edited by Dada Ahmed.