No fewer than twenty-two Nigerians have died while performing this year’s Hajj in Saudi Arabia.
Head of the medical team of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), Dr. Ibrahim Kana, made the disclosure yesterday.
Kana spoke at a meeting between Nigerian Hajj officials and their Bangladeshi counterparts in Makkah.
Dr Kana, while comparing the death rate to that of 2015, said it had dropped significantly.
He attributed the drop to numerous measures put in place by NAHCON.
“The measures include locating medical facilities not more than five minutes walk from the pilgrims and ensuring that pregnant women were not allowed to perform hajj exercise,” he said.
He added that two medical facilities were provided in Madinah, while seven were in Makkah to cater for Nigerian pilgrims.
Meanwhile, NAHCON, has vowed to investigate allegations that states used agents in the collection of Hajj fares from prospective pilgrims
NAHCON Chairman, Alhaji Abdullahi Mohammed, said the commission had received disturbing reports of many pilgrims being duped by unscrupulous people, threatening that any state official found to have aided such illegality would be sanctioned.
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