NAHCON Says 18 Nigerians Died In This Year’s Hajj

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The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has said that no fewer than eighteen Nigerians died while perofrming the just concluded 2016 Hajj attended by Muslims in Saudi Arabia.

According to the agency, the victims were from Kogi, Taraba,Kwara, Kaduna, Bauchi, Niger, Kaduna, FCT as well as other foreign Nigerian pilgrims.

While giving the details of where the pilgrims died, Ibrahim Kana, the head of NAHCON’s medical team, said  thirteen pilgrims died in Makkah, including a mentally unstable woman, 3 in Muna, while two died in Madinah.

He explained that this year’s death was the lowest recorded in five years as he gave the reason for the low figure to enhanced sanitation, increased medical awareness and compressed national medical team.

Mr Kana continued by saying despite warning pilgrims repeatedly, the medical team still discovered 5 pregnant women as he gave the figure the team attended to since the commencement of the 2016 hajj as 21,000.

 

In his remark, NAHCON chairman, Abdullahi Mukhtar, said all states who failed to give basic transport allowance to their pilgrims as well as those who collected Adiya money (money for ram slaughtering), and failed to remit same to NAHCON, would be penalised.

He said the commission would reimburse those who paid for but did not enjoy products and services like air conditioned tents, and the newly introduced e –wristband.

The 2016 Hajj is almost complete as pilgrims have started returning home on Saturday