•Intending pilgrims in Lagos
Intending pilgrims to Saudi Arabia for the 2026 Holy pilgrimage have started to undergo medical screening by the medical officials of the Lagos State government.
According to the secretary of the Lagos State Muslims Pilgrims Welfare Board, AbdulHakeem Ajomagberin, the screening would take place in ten centres across the state, reports Daily Independent.
He said, “Barring any unforeseen circumstances, the screening, according to the schedule drawn by the medical team, headed by Dr Mazeedat Erinosho, is expected to commence from Wednesday, January 14, 2026 and end on Saturday 24, January, 2026, in ten centres across the State”.
He explained that for easy accessibility and operational flexibility, the Local Government Areas were grouped under designated screening sites and health facilities for testing.
These include Agege & Ifako-Ijaiye LGAs (Agege LGA Secretariat/General Hospital, Orile-Agege); Ikeja & Oshodi-Isolo (Ikeja LGA Secretariat/BT Diagnostic Centre, LASUTH, Ikeja); Shomolu & Mushin (Mushin LGA Secretariat/Bukyano Medical Diagnostic/BT Diagnostic, LASUTH, Ikeja); Eti-Osa, Epe & Ibeju-Lekki (General Hospital, Ibeju-Lekki) and Badagry & Ojo (General Hospital, Badagry).
Others are Amuwo-Odofin, Apapa & Ajeromi-Ifelodun (Ajeromi LGA Secretariat/Bukyano Medical Diagnostic); Surulere, Lagos Mainland & Lagos Island (Surulere LGA Secretariat/Bukyano Medical Diagnostic); Ikorodu & Kosofe (Ikorodu LGA Secretariat/GH Ikorodu); Alimosho (Alimosho LGA Secretariat/Bukyano Diagnostic) and Government officials (Adeyemi-Bero/BT Diagnostic LASUTH, Ikeja).
The Board Secretary appealed to every intending pilgrim to ensure their presence at the exercise, warning that any intending pilgrim who fails to present his/herself for the screening would automatically be denied entry visa by the Saudi embassy.
Meanwhile, the Lagos State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board has appointed Local Government Schedule Officers whose responsibility is to coordinate and see to the welfare of the pilgrims both in Nigeria and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The coordinators appointed for coordinating the pilgrims in each of the LGAs are Sanusi-Alaka Hajara (Agege); Kadiri Kudirat Oluwatoyin (Ajeromi); Bello Aminat Yetunde (Alimosho); Oladipupo Sherifat Abeni (Amuwo-Odofin); Mumeen Rabiu Adebayo (Apapa); Gafar Mojeed (Badagry); Gatta Tajudeen Abiola (Epe/Eti-Osa); Adeoye Rohimot (Ifako-Ijaiye); Ige Rasaq Kolade (Ikeja) and Murtador Morenikeji Saudat (Officials).
Others include Shitta Riskat O (Ikorodu); Hassan Sikirat Temitope (Kosofe); Lawal Abubakar Abolore (Lagos Island); Muhammed Rukayat (Lagos Mainland); Oshile Mudirat Bukola (Mushin); Akinyemi Suraju (Ojo); Famosa Olabisi Ibironke (Oshodi-Isolo); Coker Esther (Shomolu); Ganiu Ridwan Abiola (Surulere) and Hassan Taofeek (JAIZ/NIA/ROYAL).
Ajomagberin, who stated that the appointment was approved by the Hon. Commissioner for Home Affairs, Hon. Olanrewaju Ibrahim Layode, during a scheduled meeting with the coordinators at the Secretariat, Alausa, Ikeja, added that the Special Adviser to the Governor on Islamic Matters, Hon. Ahmad Abdullahi Jebe, was also present at the meeting.
He urged the Schedule Officers to show utmost commitment to the assignment by ensuring that the pilgrims enjoy their deserved comfort before and during the spiritual exercise, stressing that the State Government is very passionate about providing the pilgrims with the enabling and conducive environment to actualise their dreams of fulfilling the spiritual obligation and would therefore not condone any untoward or unlawful acts that could derail the commitment.
