Saudi Stampede: Four Kwara Pilgrims Confirmed Dead, 10 Still Missing

Gov. AbdulFatai Ahmed

By Hammed Shittu in Ilorin

Four Muslims pilgrims from Kwara State who performed this year’s hajj exercise have been confirmed dead while 10 others are still missing during the recent stampede that occurred in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The first batch of the pilgrims returned to Ilorin on Tuesday as some of them were seen wailing and in tears as they narrated their ordeal to their friends and relations at the Ilorin International Airport.

A former state Head of Service, Alhaji Mohammed Daborako who was one of the first batch of 499 pilgrims from the state that arrived confirmed this during  on Wednesday while speaking with journalists in Ilorin. He said: “The incident occurred in Mina when pilgrims after stoning the devil, met others who were going to perform their own stoning on the same direction.

“This caused serious choke-up and resulted in a stampede as a result of the large crowd.”

Dabarako added that some Kwara pilgrims were also affected during the crane crash incident.

He said: “I even knew somebody a Kwaran staying very close to me. I couldn’t see him again maybe he died or went missing I didn’t know. But I learnt that three people died from Kwara State. These three people, I learnt two of them where sick and aged before going for the hajj.

“I don’t know which local government or part of Kwara these three people are from because it is the State Welfare Board that can identify them. At the same time, we learnt that 10 Kwarans were missing before we left but nobody knows whether they are alive or dead. I was lucky because I went with Amirul-Hajj very early in the morning when the stampede happened we were surprised because the security were directing us.”

Dabarako noted  that the Saudi Arabia security cannot be blame completely for the incidence because some of the pilgrims were stubborn to follow instructions.  He pointed out further that, “Some of the pilgrims are so old that they can’t recognise the inscription directing them, so they are always found missing. Our own pilgrim board also need to be more coordinated linking up with Saudi pilgrim authority to avoid such incident in future.”

He urged potential pilgrims to be orderly as it is an energy consuming exercise adding that anybody that is too old and aged should not be allowed to perform the hajj.

Meanwhile, the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Alhaji Isiaka Gold, appreciated Almighty for successful trip of the 1st batch. Adding it is regrettable and unfortunate that some people died but full information about the Hajj will be known when the officials of the welfare board arrive from Saudi Arabia.