Following the Israeli verses Hamas war, the Executive Secretary, Nigeria Christian Pilgrims Commission (NCPC), Reverend Yakubu Pam, has revealed that the Nigerian pilgrim contingent has chose to heads to Greece and Rome instead to visit biblical sites for its religious rituals. The Reverend father stated this in Abuja yesterday while addressing journalists, saying that safety of the pilgrims has always been a priority to the NCPC.

President Tinubu has granted approval to three airlines to serve as exclusive carriers for the 2024 Hajj pilgrimage. The Assistant Director, Public Affairs, National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, Fatima Sanda-Usara, made the above public in a statement on Friday in Abuja. The airlines selected were named as Air Peace Ltd, FlyNas and Max Air.Max Air, which has the highest allocation, is responsible for the conveyance of pilgrims from Bauchi, Benue, Kano, Katsina, Kogi, Nasarawa, Adamawa, Oyo, Taraba, Kaduna, Armed Forces, Gombe, Jigawa and Plateau states. Similarly, Air Peace is scheduled to transport intending pilgrims from Abia, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Ekiti, Enugu, FCT, Imo, Kwara, Ondo and Rivers states.

The United States Secretary of State, Antony Blinken on Thursday opted against designating Nigeria and India as “Countries of Particular Concern” (CPCs) for religious freedom violations. This decision ignited immediate backlash, with the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) calling it “extreme disappointment.”  The annual list released by the State Department maintained the previous year’s 12 CPCs, including notorious offenders like Burma, China, and Saudi Arabia, and added only Azerbaijan to a watch list. This sparked outrage among advocates who argued that both Nigeria and India, with their escalating violence against religious minorities, deserved harsher sanctions. 

The Federal Government has announced the deadline for the 2024 hajj registration by intending pilgrims to 31st January, 2024.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has dissolved the Board of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) and also appointed Jalal Ahmed Arabi as the Commission’s Chairman for a term of 4 years. This was made known on Tuesday in a statement issued by Ajuri Ngelale, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity.

Yobe State Government has launched new commission known as ‘Hisbah Commission’ aimed to curb the perpetration of social vices and aid the enforcement of Shariah across the State. Hisbah is a religious taskforce established to fight social vices and ensure social hygiene in the overall conduct of Muslims in an Islamic society.