At least 13 out of 95,000 Nigerians died during the 2023 Hajj in Saudi Arabia.
National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) while revealing this, announced that it recorded seven death pre-Arafah and another six in Arafah.
In his presentation at the post-Arafah meeting in Makkah, on Sunday, NAHCON Head National Medical Team (NMT), Dr. Usman Galadima, revealed that four died at Arafah while another two died at Mina, bringing the number of deaths that recorded among the Nigerian pilgrims since the commencement of Hajj to 13.
According to Dr. Galadima, there were two reported cases of deliveries of term pregnancies, and three reported cases of Chickenpox.
He said, “Some of the challenges faced in Mina include increased pressure on the ambulance services, increase congestion in Mina, and poor sanitization”.
Dr. Galadima said of the 25,722 patients attended to, 15,268 are female, while the remaining 10,454 are male.
According to the report by NAHCON NMT, Kaduna and Osun States lost two pilgrims each, Plateau, Borno, Yobe, FCT, Benue, and Lagos lost one pilgrim each, while tour operators lost three pilgrims.
In a related development, NAHCON Head of Aviation, Engr Goni Sanda, has announced that the return inaugural flight is scheduled to depart the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for Nigeria on Tuesday July 4, 2023.
According to the NAHCON Head of Aviation, the pilgrims and even officials will be treated on the “first come, first to depart system”.
“By our calculation, most officials will spend nothing more than 45 days in Saudi Arabia to ensure smooth return of Nigerians home,” he added.
According to him, the return flight operation will last between July 4 to August 3, 2023, assuring that “94, 987 will be returned home safely”.
