Five Nigerians, three females and two males, have been confirmed dead due to natural causes in this year’s holy pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia with four recorded in Madinah and one in Makkah.
Coordinator of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) in Madinah, Dr. Bello Tambuwal confirmed the development.

It was gathered from that one of the pilgrims died on their way to Makkah, while the other four died in Medina including a woman who was in the state of ihram (sanctity) about to begin Umrah, which is one of the rites of the pilgrimage.

Three of the dead who have been buried in Madinah were from Kogi, Katsina and Benue states. The state of origin of the remaining two persons could not be ascertained at press time with the one in Makkah still in a hospital while the fifth person died few minutes before the filling of this report.

Tambuwal who refused to give further details however said the deaths were minimal compare to previous years.
“We all know there is time for everyone to die as fixed by Allah. However we are grateful to Allah that this year’s hajj recorded less deaths and other incidences. We did not record any road accidents as the Chairman of the commission (Barrister Mukhtar Muhammed) and other officials were successful in securing hotel accommodations at the precinct of the Haram (the two holy mosques in Makkah and Madinah) and which has minimize movements of our pilgrims to perform acts of worship,” Tambuwal said.
He also said those with one forms of ailments or another have been treated within the two fully stocked and equipped clinics in Madinah, saying some drugs including those on Malaria were brought in from Nigeria, to complement those procured in Saudi Arabia.
He equally said the commission has increased the food given to pilgrims from one meal to two covering breakfast and dinner.
A total of 46, 770 pilgrims using 118 flights have been airlifted so far for this year’s exercise.