Comparing the rate of mortality in this hajj and the previous one, the Head of Medical Team, Dr. Ibrahim Kana, said 18 Nigerian pilgrims had lost their lives while performing the hajj rites.

The dead 18 pilgrims were among the 76,000 pilgrims who travelled to Saudi Arabia for 2016 Hajj.

Kana, who disclosed this at the 2016 Hajj post Arafat meeting in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, also acknowledged the improvement in sanitation around Nigerian tents in Mina and the cooperation of the pilgrims in maintaining a healthy environment.

The death toll in the 2016 hajj is the lowest in five years in Nigeria According Kana, the low figure was as a result of enhanced sanitation, increased medical awareness and compressed national medical team. NAHCON’s medical team attended to over 21,000 patients since the commencement of the hajj rites and detected five pregnant women despite repeated warnings.

Meanwhile, the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria has been urged to sustain and upgrade the standard of operations carried out in the 2016 Hajj Exercise. Stakeholders made the call at the meeting, which also focused on reviewing the challenges encountered during the Hajj exercise and plans for the 2017 hajj.

In a welcome address, Charge d’Affairs, Nigeria Embassy, Riyadh, Ambassador Salihu Umar, commended the efforts of the Commission in executing the chain of operations successfully.

Umar further called on the commission and State Pilgrims Welfare Boards to maintain the standards set in this year’s Hajj and improve on operations for subsequent Hajj.

In his presentation, the Chairman of the commission, Mallam Abdullahi Muktar, explained that the sustainability of the standards in this year hajj could not be achieved without the full commitment of States pilgrims’ welfare boards. He tasked stakeholders to work as a team in all aspects of the hajj operations especially in the enlightenment of pilgrims.

While analysing the performance of the commission so far, the Chairman House Committee on Nigeria-Saudi inter-parliamentary Friendship and Hajj Affair, Dr. Abdullahi Balarabe, said despite the successes achieved, the commission needed to re-strategise for better performance in future operations.

On arrangement for departure of pilgrims back to the country, the Commissioner of Operations, Alhaji Abdullahi Modibbo, called on airliners to ensure adherence to their schedules and alert pilgrims 24 hours before departure.

Modibbo advised pilgrims and officials to enforce the rules of carrying hand luggage of 8 kilogrammes, the main luggage of 32 kilogrammes and avoid carrying prohibited items. Meanwhile airlifting back to the country commenced yesterday with the departure of about 500 Kogi state pilgrims.

Over three million pilgrims performed this year’s Hajj, which starts with movement to Muna, Arafat and Muzdalifa and throwing stones at the devil (Jamrah).

•Sourced from THISDAY. Photo shows Nigerian pilgrims departing for the hajj, some of whom will never come back.

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