Hajj 2023: Six Nigerian Pilgrims Die in Saudi Arabia

Hajj 2023: Six Nigerian Pilgrims Die in Saudi Arabia

By Abdulrahman Abdulraheem, in Makkah

The Nigerian contingent to the ongoing Hajj in Saudi Arabia has so far lost six pilgrims out of the 95,000 worshippers taking part in the exercise.

This figure is higher than the mortality rates recorded in the entire Hajj seasons of 2017, 2018 and 2022.

The six pilgrims, according to the authorities, all died of complications arising from cardiac arrest.

The Head of the Medical Mission to the Hajj operation, Dr Usman Galadima, made this known in a presentation at a Pre-Arafat briefing organised by the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) in Makkah on Saturday night.

According to Dr Galadima, two of the departed pilgrims were from Osun state and one each from Plateau and Kaduna states.

He could not confirm the states of the two other deceased pilgrims before leaving the venue of the briefing on Saturday night. He however promised to get back to journalists as soon as he confirms the details.

PRNIGERIA had on Tuesday reported the passing of the second victim whose name was given as Hajiya Rabiatu Aliyu, an indigene of Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna state.

According to Dr Galadima who had confirmed her passing on Monday evening, the first Nigerian pilgrim to die in this year’s Hajj was a male who passed on a week earlier.

Details later.