Hajj 2017: Nigerian pilgrims’ death toll hits 7

Th e number of Nigerian pilgrims who have died at the current Hajj exercise has risen from fi ve to seven, officials have stated.

Chairman of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), Abdullahi Mohammed, disclosed this in an interview with journalists at Mount Arafat, Saudi Arabia yesterday.

Mohammed had earlier on Tuesday at the pre-Arafat meeting with Hajj stakeholders announced the death of fi ve Nigerian pilgrims.

Though, the identities of the dead pilgrims were not disclosed, the chairman said the pilgrims were from Kwara, Kogi, Katsina and Kaduna states and had died due to natural illness.

“We have lost seven pilgrims due to natural illness; male and female, particularly from Kwara, Kogi, Katsina, Kaduna.

No single accident recorded this year.

All pilgrims were evacuated in good time.

“We will have to say that, so far so good.

Even the mortality recorded this year is the lowest in the last 10 to 15 years.

We pray that will be the end of any mortality that we are going to record,” he said.

He expressed optimism that the movement to Mustalifah, back to the pilgrims’ tents and the observation of stoning of the Jamarat would also be well coordinated, peaceful and that the pilgrims would fi nish their Hajj rites safely.

“Importantly, the commission has introduced an emergency call centre.

We have officers who man that call centre 24 hours.

So, any pilgrims under any distress situation should call this number 90008251, 920008251.

” He said the Commission had a robust, effective and well-coordinated medical team with ambulances stationed in various medical camps to attend to emergency needs of pilgrims.

He expressed satisfaction over the hitch-free movement of pilgrims from Makkah to Muna and to Arafat.

He said the return of pilgrims to Nigeria “will commence on September 7,” stressing that the Commission would maintain the ‘fi rst in fi rst out policy,’ except for those under emergency

Leave a Reply