Thirty Nigerian pilgrims have been identified among the 717 pilgrims killed during the stampede at Mina, Saudi Arabia on Thursday, and the
figures may increase – as health workers and rescue team continue to identify the corpses, a senior official of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) told Thisday on Friday.
In a related development, President Muhammadu Buhari also yesterday said he was deeply saddened by the colossal calamity which occurred in Mina and called on King Salman of Saudi Arabia to ensure a comprehensive and thorough exercise that would identify any flaws in Hajj organisation with a view to avoiding a recurrence of such tragedies during the annual pilgrimage.
The NAHCON’s official who spoke with Thisday from Saudi Arabia, said the Chairman of the Commission, Alhaji Abdullahi Mukhtar urged the Saudi government to involve countries, whose citizens were killed in the stampede in the investigation.
‘’For now, investigation is still ongoing; we are still trying to get the total number of Nigerian pilgrims who died and sustained different degree of injuries. But so far, we have identified 30 of the corpses. And unfortunately, the figures may increase’’, the NAHCON’s official who pleaded anonymity told Thisday.
Justice Abubakar Abdulkadir Jega, a judge of the Court of Appeal, is among the over 717 pilgrims killed in Thursday stampede in Mina, Saudi Arabia.
Family sources confirmed to Daily Trust that his body was found at the morgue in Mina.
Justice Jega was a member of the Kebbi State Government delegation to 2015 hajj.
The deceased is a brother to immediate past chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission Professor Attahiru Jega and Daily Trust’s Deputy Editor-In-Chief Malam Mahmud Jega.
Nigerian officials joined other countries’ hajj officials in Mina morgue to identify their nationalities.
The Emir of Zang, Taraba state has been confirmed to be among those killed in Thursday’s stampede and so also Popular Journalist Bilikisu. May all their Gentle souls RIP