Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano, has N5,000 cash gift to each of the 3,170 Kano citizens who are in Saudi Arabia for the 2019 Hajj.

Muhammad Danbatta, Executive Secretary, Kano State Pilgrims Welfare Board, announced this in a statement made available to the 2019 National Media Team (NMT) on Thursday, in Mecca.

NMT is a unit of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) responsible for informing the public on developments in hajj operations.

Danbatta told the pilgrims that they would receive the cash gift from their various centre officers, adding that it was a token from the governor in expectation of their prayers for him.

The executive secretary, however, cautioned the pilgrims against boarding planes with banned items as they awaited their return flight to Nigeria, after completion of the Hajj rites.

Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam, compulsory on each Muslim that has the means and good health to perform at least once in a lifetime.

Nigerian pilgrims are expected to start returning home on Aug. 17.

To this effect, NAHCON officials in Mecca, have commenced preparations for the smooth return of pilgrims to Nigeria.

NAHCON said more than 44, 000 pilgrims who came through its programme and 18, 000 others that came through tour operators, performed the 2019 pilgrimage.