Ten Nigerian pilgrims in Saudi Arabia have died, according to the Coordinator of the National Hajj Commission in Mecca, Aliyu Tanko.

Tanko said Monday that at least 50,000 Nigerian pilgrims had so far arrived in Mecca with virtually all of them having performed the Umrah rites.

According to Tanko in a telephone interview in Mecca, the commission’s three clinics and those set up by the various state pilgrims boards provide effective medical services to Nigerian pilgrims in Mecca.

He urged pilgrims to always seek medical advice before embarking on pilgrimage and warned them against exposing themselves to the harsh weather in the holy land.

Two lounges were provided at Jeddah airport to check African pilgrims for Ebola. King Abdulaziz International Airport (KAIA) has the two lounges to receive pilgrims coming from Nigeria and some other African countries as a preventive measure against the Ebola virus.

“So far 118,000 pilgrims have arrived by air from Nigeria. There was not a single suspected case of the deadly virus among anyone of them,” said Abdul Ghani Al-Malki, the supervisor of haj affairs at the terminal.

According to him, aircraft coming from Nigeria are thoroughly checked to prevent the deadly virus.

“Emergency doctors and consultants in infectious diseases are participating in the execution of the plan in addition to qualified teams who are capable of checking the virus,” Mr. Al-Malki said.

“We are particularly checking pilgrims coming from countries with reported cases of Ebola including Nigeria, Kenya and Congo,” he added.

The Saudi Kingdom has prevented entry of pilgrims from the Ebola-infected countries in West Africa namely Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea.

Meanwhile, with the arrival on Sunday morning, in the holy city of Madinah, of Amiru-l-Hajj (leader), Oba Rilwanu Akiolu of Lagos and members of the 2014 Hajj Federal Government Delegation, the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has successfully conveyed all intending pilgrims from Nigeria for this year’s hajj to the holy land.

Over 75,000 Nigerians including those who employed the services of private tour operators will be participating in the spiritual exercise which will commence on Thursday, the eighth day of Dhul Hijjah, the 12th month of Muslim calendar.

Last week, the Saudi authorities announced the midnight of September 28 as the deadline for the airlifting of pilgrims from all parts of the world to the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah.

•Excerpted from a Guardian report. Photo shows Muslims praying at Ka'ba.

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