Thousands of Nigeria Muslim pilgrims stranded in Saudi Arabia after the 2011 Hajj rites, are now home sick, the? News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) has reported.
Most of the pilgrims who had spent about 30 days in the holy land lamented the delay in returning them home by the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) and their air carriers.
The pilgrims, who are scattered in various Saudi cities of Mecca, Madinah and Jeddah, as at yesterday, complained of boredom, lack of money and nostalgia.
One of them, Alhaji Tijani Yinusa, a journalist in Abuja, said he arrived at the holy land since October 15, 2011, and had completed the rites by November 11, but had to wait till November 30, for movement to Jeddah for possible transportation to Nigeria.
Yinusa said that although NAHCON tried to arrange the return flights on first come, first go basis, the process was not as thorough and consistent because in most times, there were no air carriers on ground.
The second timer pilgrim said that with the delay in flight schedule, most of the pilgrims were now finding it difficult to feed, while some might face sanctions in their places of work because they had exceeded the period approved for them by their employers.
Speaking in the same vein, Hajia Hawah Mohammed-Tukur, a first timer from Kano, said she had planned for a maximum of 30 days but had already spent 42 days and still no flight in sight.
She said there was no information on the true situation of things while some of the air liners and NAHCON officials were unavailable to comment, leaving the pilgrims with rumours.
The pilgrim said the situation in Jeddah was not too conducive to keep pilgrims in the open air for days, which had led to many getting under tyhe weather, while feeding was very difficult as many exhausted their Basic Travelling Allowance (BTA).
Commenting on the allegations, Alhaji Uba Mana, Head of Media in NAHCON, blamed the airline operators for allegedly not giving information about the true flight situation.