Five Nigerian pilgrims to this year's hajj in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, have passed on, Premium Times reports. This was disclosed by the chairman of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), Abdullahi Mohammed, on Tuesday, August 29 in Islam's holiest city. According to the report, he made the disclosure at the 2017 pre-Arafat meeting with Hajj stakeholders.
He was however silent on the identities of the late pilgrims as well as the circumstances that led to their death. He said such information could only be disclosed after their families had been appropriately informed. He also pleaded with the media to withhold the details so as not to further devastate the families of the affected pilgrims. A total of 81,200 Nigerian pilgrims are performing this year's hajj, all of whom have converged on Makkah.
A few other pilgrims came directly to Makkah after flying into Saudi Arabia through the nearby city of Jeddah On Wednesday, August 30, the pilgrims will move to the city of Mina to spend the eve of the 9th of Dhul-Hijah. The pilgrims will then proceed to Arafat on Thursday, August 31 praising Allah and reciting the Qur'an. Nigeria's first lady, Aisha Buhari on Tuesday, August 29, left Nigeria to Mecca, Saudi Arabia to perform the 2017 Hajj. The personal assistant to the first lady, Zaynab Ikaz-Kassim, in a tweet said Mrs. Buhari left Abuja on Tuesday afternoon to join millions of Muslims to perform this year's Hajj.
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