Hajj stampede: NAHCON confirms 54 Nigerians dead

• 15 states lost pilgrims in disaster

Contrary to widely held belief that about 100 Nigerian pilgrims may have died in last Thursday’s deadly stampede in Mina by Muslim faithful taking part in the Jamarat in this year’s hajj exercise, only 54 Nigerians have been confirmed dead.

This is the figure announced early Monday morning by the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON).
Chairman of the commission, Barrister Abdullahi Muktar Mohammed, who briefed the media in Makkah, said that 42 of those that died were from states’ pilgrims’ welfare board, including two NAHCON officials, while the remaining16 were from those on the pilgrimage organised by private tour operators.
The NAHCON boss also said 15 states lost pilgrims in the disaster. The affected states are: Bauchi, Borno, Zamfara, Cross River, Jigawa, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Nasarawa, Niger, Ogun, Ondo, Sokoto, Taraba and Yobe.
Read More  http://newtelegraphonline.com/hajj-stampede-nahcon-confirms-54-nigerians-dead/