By Jimoh Babatunde

Makkah, Saudi Arabia – About 85,071 Nigerians are  already in Saudi Arabia  as part of  the  two  million pilgrims  from all over the world that  have arrived in the Kingdom for Hajj, the high point of which falls on tomorrow when pilgrims pray and supplicate the whole day on the plains of Arafat.

This is just as a total of 20,534 pilgrims on their way to the holy sites without Hajj permits were turned away at a number of checkpoints by the Passports Department (Hajj).

Every Muslim country has a Hajj quota of 1,000 pilgrims per million inhabitants and the biggest contingent — 200,000 pilgrims — came from Indonesia.

The kingdom also granted visas to Syrians in Lebanon, Turkey and Jordan, where thousands of refugees who have fled the violence were accommodated.

The Commissioner in charge of Research in the commission, Dr. Okenwa Salleh, who confirmed the number of Nigerians in Saudi, also revealed that the commission has agreed to adopt the grade C accommodation introduced by Lagos State last year in Mina for the entire country.

In related development, Lagos State Commissioner for Home Affairs, Oyinmole Danmole said arrangements have been concluded to house the state pilgrims in Mina and Arafat as part of the rites for this year’s hajj.

While addressing the pilgrims in Makkah, yesterday, before departure for Mina by Lagos State’s pilgrims, the Commissioner said tents have been secured with the necessary convenience for the comfort of the pilgrims.