The National Hajj Commission (NAHCON), yesterday, said 11 more bodies of Nigerian pilgrims killed in a stampede during Hajj in Saudi Arabia have been identified. The development puts the total number of the dead at 75.
The Public Relations Officer of NAHCON, Mallam Uba Mana, disclosed this to Vanguard in a telephone interview, yesterday. According to him, the total number of pilgrims missing is 241.
In another development, NAHCON said that Saudi Arabia had opened an identification office for missing persons.
“This is a good development, because it will ease a little tension of a lot of pilgrims across the country,” it stated.
It maintained that “the Saudi authorities have since taken responsibility for the medical bills of the victims.”
The missing Nigerians may include some members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) on Hajj pilgrimage who the scheme recently raised alarm about their fate.
