18th September, 2014
Kazeeem Ugbodaga
A female pilgrim from Lagos state has died in Medina, Saudi Arabia while performing the ongoing hajj in Saudi Arabia.
The female pilgrim, Basirat Olatunji hailed from Eti Osa area of Lagos, southwest Nigeria.
One of the pilgrims currently in Saudi Arabia, who craved anonymity, said Olatunji slept and did not wake up from her sleep, throwing the Lagos State pilgrims in the holy land into mourning.
A top government source who also craved anonymity confirmed the demise of Olatunji in Medina, saying the government was aware of the incident.
The state government had said that pilgrims who are sick would not be allowed to travel to Saudi Arabia but that has not been the case as Lagos pilgrims keep dying in the holy land due to sickness and old age, with some of them preferring to die in Saudi Arabia than in Nigeria.
Meanwhile, at least 3,082 pilgrims from Lagos State have successfully arrived in Medina which is their first port of call as they are set to perform this year’s hajj.
The pilgrims were full of joy and thanked God on arrival at the King Fahd International Airport in Jeddah.
According to the spokesman of the state Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board, Durojaiye Luqmon, the pilgrims would stay at least one day in Medina before proceeding to Mecca.
While in Medina, the pilgrims will visit holy sites and the mosque of Prophet Mohammed where the tomb of the prophet is and those of his disciples.
Luqmon said that by Friday, 19 September, all the pilgrims would have arrived in Mecca.
He expressed hope that the movement of the pilgrims back to Nigeria would follow the same arrangement when they get to the shores of the country.