The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) Abdullahi Mohammed said Tuesday five pilgrims from his country have died to this year’s hajj in Makkah, Saudi Arabia. However, identity of the victims has not yet been revealed and even the circumstances that led to the death.
Local media reports the chairman disclosed the fact at the 2017 pre-Arafat meeting with Hajj stakeholders pleading the media to withhold the details to help not to further devastate the families of the victims.
It is learned this year 81,200 pilgrims from Nigeria performed hajj and all of them converged on Makkah, but some of the people came after flying into Saudi Arabia through Jeddah. Tomorrow all the pilgrims is learned to move to Mina to spend eve of the 9th of Dhul-Hijah. On Thursday they will proceed to Arafat to praise Allah and also to recite the Islamic holy book Quran.
Among the special people to Mecca includes the country’s first lady Aisha Buhari. She left the country on the afternoon of August 29 to perform the 2017 Hajj, tweeted her personal assistant Zaynab Ikaz-Kassim.
Ikaz-Kassim wrote, “This Afternoon H.E. Mrs. @aishambuhari left Abuja for Mecca, Saudi Arabia to join millions of Muslims in performing this year’s Hajj.”
Millions of pilgrims perform hajj each year in the Saudi Arabian’s holy city.
The first lady recently returned to the country after paying a visit to Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari in London. She thanked to the people for their concern and prayers for the president.
Buhari was on medical vacation to the British capital.
