Hajj 2023: 70-year-old Lagos pilgrim slumps, dies in Saudi

A yet-to-be-identified pilgrim from Lagos State has reportedly slumped and died in Saudi Arabia.

According to reliable information, the deceased collapsed while attempting to cross the highway near the hotel where Oyo pilgrims are being accommodated.

The incident occurred at 5 am (Nigerian time) and plunged the entire group of pilgrims into a state of mourning.

Efforts to revive the pilgrim proved unsuccessful as he passed away on the way to the hospital.

In another development, the hopes of over 1000 pilgrims from Oyo State returning to Nigeria as scheduled seem to have been dashed.

It has been gathered that the earlier arrangements made for their timely return have encountered logistical problems.

Professor Sayed Malik, Chairman of the State Muslim Pilgrim Welfare Board, revealed that the board’s efforts to ensure the pilgrims’ prompt return were hindered by logistic challenges.

“We planned to bring our pilgrims back to Nigeria immediately after their return to Makkah from Mina. However, NAHCON (National Hajj Commission of Nigeria) and the airline contracted for transportation, Aero Contractors, were not responding to our demands for prompt airlift. Later, we were informed by NAHCON that the airline was denied a landing permit in Jeddah.”

“The issue was eventually resolved, and the airline transported the first batch of Nasarawa pilgrims back to Nigeria. It was scheduled that Oyo State pilgrims would be transported back to Nigeria in batches starting from July 10.”

“But things took a dramatic turn as the airline officials refused to airlift the pilgrims as agreed earlier.”

“We were surprised that there was no communication from the airline and NAHCON officials on July 10 regarding our departure, and our pilgrims waited in vain at their hotels for the officials who didn’t show up.”

“We later learned that the Aero Contractors aircraft, which transported the first batch of Nasarawa pilgrims to Nigeria, did not return for the other pilgrims in Saudi Arabia but remained grounded at the Nnamdi Azikiwe airport in Abuja because the airline failed to secure a permit to land in Jeddah from Saudi aviation authorities,” Professor Malik disclosed.

Alhaji Sakariyau Kunle Sanni, a former Secretary of the Oyo State Muslim Pilgrim Welfare Board, who once served on the Aviation Committee of NAHCON, expressed reservations about the turn of events.

He advised that states should be given a say in the selection of airlines to transport their pilgrims.

As of the time of gathering this report, pilgrims from Oyo State, as well as those from Nasarawa, Taraba, and Adamawa states, are stranded in Makkah, as NAHCON seems to have abandoned them to their fate.

The pilgrims from the four affected states have no information about when they will depart from the holy lands, more than ten days after completing the Hajj exercise.

Many of the affected pilgrims blamed their predicament on the inefficiency of NAHCON, the body responsible for coordinating Hajj operations in Nigeria.

Honourable Lekan Afuye, a former Chairman of the Ibadan North East Local Government, attributed the present situation to bureaucratic bottlenecks and poor performance by NAHCON.

Honourable Afuye appealed to President Bola Tinubu to dissolve the NAHCON Board and reconstitute a new one to prevent Nigerian pilgrims from unnecessary suffering.

Alhaji Oriyomi Hamzat, an affected pilgrim and Ibadan-based broadcaster, stated that NAHCON has taken on more responsibilities than it can handle.

“We are in this unfortunate situation because NAHCON was overwhelmed by the enormous responsibilities it was saddled with. Something has to be done; we cannot continue to suffer unnecessarily,” Alhaji Hamzat expressed.

Meanwhile, Amir Hajj, who is also the State Deputy Governor, Alhaji Bayo Lawal, has directed the State Muslim Pilgrim Welfare Board to take appropriate steps and come up with a viable solution that the state government can support.

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