Auwalu Umar
5 November 2009
Medina — One pilgrim from Kebbi State and another from Nasarawa State have died after the visit to the Prophet Mosque and other places of worship in Medina, while a female pilgrim from Kano sustained a fracture while climbing a staircase at King Abdul Aziz International Airport, Jeddah as she arrived from Nigeria.
Malam Abubakar Giro, a board member of the Kebbi State Pilgrims Welfare Agency, confirmed the death of Alhaji Usman Hassan of Koko Besse town, saying the pilgrim died of blood pressure on Sunday after a visit to the Holy Prophet's Mosque. Giro, who supervises pilgrims' affairs in Medina on behalf of the state pilgrims' agency, said Hassan's death had since been reported to the Nigerian Hajj Mission in Mediana for necessary action.
Daily Trust could not however independently confirm the death of the Nasarawa pilgrim as pilgrims officials from the state could not be found at the time of filing in this report. But pilgrims from the state who spoke with Daily Trust confirmed the death. They said the pilgrim died three days ago after the Isha (evening prayer) at the Prophet's Mosque.
When contacted, the Coordinator of this year's hajj operations at the Nigeria Hajj Mission office in Medina Alhaji Musa Isa said he could not speak on the death of any pilgrim without informing the government of the state from where such pilgrim hails. He however said his office was now collating information from various hospitals on deaths of Nigerian pilgrims.
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