6 More Pilgrims Die In Mecca

Six more Nigerian pilgrims have been confirmed dead in Saudi Arabia while undergoing the annual hajj in the holy land. 

This brings to 26 the number of Nigerian pilgrims who have died so far in the last two weeks in Mecca as the hajj came to an end. 20 pilgrims have earlier died in the first week of the hajj.

Mr. Taiwo Olapade, a journalist currently in Saudi Arabia for the hajj quoted the spokesman of the Nigerian medical team in Saudi Arabia, Dr. Salisu Bello as saying that five more deaths were recorded before Arafat and one after Arafat after the initial 20 who died before the pre-Arafat meeting.                                                                                                              

Bello explained that majority of the pilgrims who died fell within the age 60 and 65 years except for one 80-year old pilgrim.                                                                                                                         

According to him, the quick intervention of the medical team and Saudi authorities saved Nigeria from experiencing mass deaths among female pilgrims from Kaduna State when their camp at Minna was hit by Diarrhoea.                                                                               

Reports had it that 12,945 pilgrims received medical attention while five miscarriages were also recorded during the 2011 exercise.                                                                                                               

Meanwhile, the Sultan of Sokoto and Amir Hajj for the 2011 Hajj, Abubakar Sa’aad has berated the National Hajj Commission for the poor feeding of pilgrims during this year’s Hajj exercise.

He said the commission would be compelled to refund money to states where the poor feeding arrangements were peculiar. 

While addressing hajj officials and Ulamas, the Sultan said recommendation that states should be allowed to feed their pilgrims would be looked into. 

However, Nigerian pilgrims to this year’s hajj have started arriving the country in batches.

No fewer than 505 out of the 3,867 Lagos State pilgrims who embarked on the journey have arrived. The pilgrims are from Agege, Ajeromi/Ifelodun as well as some government sponsored pilgrims.

— Kazeem Ugbodaga