Nigeria, June 14 -- The return airlift of Nigerian pilgrims from Saudi Arabia has entered its 10th day, with the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) reporting steady progress in the operation.

As of Saturday, 17,347 pilgrims had been transported from Saudi Arabia back to Nigeria in line with the return-flight slots allocated to the designated air carriers.

According to a statement issued by C management on Saturday, nine states have completed their pilgrims' return journeys. They are Nasarawa, Gombe, Kogi, Oyo, Osun, Ogun, Jigawa, Kwara and Plateau states.

The commission also disclosed that Lagos, Kebbi and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have achieved between 65 and 80 per cent completion of their return operations.

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