The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has put at 280, the death toll of Nigerians involved in the disasters which occurred during the annual hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia. Two major accidents happened during this year’s pilgrimage. On September 11, a crane collapsed at the Grand Mosque in Makkah, while on September 24, a stampede occurred in Mina during the ritual of “stoning the devil”.

Abdullahi Mohammed, chairman of NAHCON, also disclosed that the whereabouts of 43 persons remain unknown. “Nigeria recorded a total of 280 deaths from both events, while 43 are considered missing as their status is yet to be ascertained,” he said. He said the report submitted contains observations and recommendations that will ensure more successes during future hajj exercises. Responding, Babachir Lawal, secretary to the government of the federation (SGF), commended the commission for the manner in which it handled the crisis.

 According to Bolaji Adebiyi, a deputy director of press in the office of the SGF, Lawal said he was particularly impressed with the conduct of Mohammed in providing the government and the public with adequate and “incontrovertible” information throughout the crisis. He assured the commission that the report submitted will receive the prompt attention of the government. A total of 75,081 Nigerian pilgrims participated in the 2015 hajj.