The Emir of Zing and Ameerul-hajj of Taraba State to this year’s hajj exercise, Alhaji Abbas Sambo, two of his wives and six other members of his family were among Nigerians who died in the stampede that occurred last Thursday along Jamrat, Mina, Saudi Arabia.
This revelation came just as Sunday Telegraph gathered that about 100 Nigerians may have also died in the deadly stampede that occurred when pilgrims were going to perform the symbolic stoning of the devil on the outskirts of Mina for this year’s hajj exercise.
Our correspondent also gathered that Justice Abubakar Abdulkadir Jega, a judge of the Court of Appeal was among the over 769 pilgrims who died in the stampede. Family sources revealed that his body was found at the morgue in Mina.
Justice Jega was a member of the Kebbi State government delegation to 2015 hajj. The deceased is a brother to immediate past chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Attahiru Jega, and Daily Trust’s Deputy Editor-in- Chief, Malam Mahmud Jega. Nigerian officials joined their counterparts from other countries in Mina morgue to identify their nationals.
Justice Jega was a member of the Kebbi State government delegation to 2015 hajj. The deceased is a brother to immediate past chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Attahiru Jega, and Daily Trust’s Deputy Editor-in- Chief, Malam Mahmud Jega. Nigerian officials joined their counterparts from other countries in Mina morgue to identify their nationals.
The Nigerian hajj officials were still compiling the list of Nigerians affected persons. Other prominent Nigerians so far confirmed killed in the stampede include the Deputy Secretary General of the Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, Prof. Tijjani Abubakar El-Miskin, as well as veteran journalist and prominent civil society activist, Hajiya Bilkisu Yusuff. As at yesterday, various states’ delegates had begun a head count of their members to determine those who were still alive.
Saudi authorities have also commenced forensic test of fingerprints and blood samples of the dead and injured victims as means of identification of the dead. Nigeria’s death toll may be the third highest, following behind Pakistan and Iran that lost 236 and 131 pilgrims respectively in the incident. However, several eyewitnesses held the view that the unfortunate incident at Mina happened because a large number of pilgrims converged on Street 204 at the same time.
This led to a panic that contributed to the suffocation of many of them while they were trying to escape the sudden stampede. A pilgrim, Haj Abdulmunim Al-Safwan, said the majority of the dead people were elderly people who were walking with their children.
They were not able to leave the children behind, thus they moved forward quickly or jogged to keep up with the crowd, which was an impossible task. Other stories from eyewitnesses revealed that the stampede happened as a rush of Iranian pilgrims passed through Souq Al-Arab Street and refused to return, ignoring guidelines, as was reported by the website, Sabq. The website also quoted one of the officials in charge of the campaign as saying that “the Iranian pilgrims did not listen to the guidelines, ignored it and confronted us.
They were raising slogans before the incident.” In an expected act, Hussein Amir Abdul Leehan, assistant foreign minister of Iran, held the Saudi government responsible for the incident, said the website. Iranian officials have declared that 41 Iranian pilgrims died in the incident and 60 others were injured.
In most cases, Iranians indulged in excesses during Hajj to promote what they call an Islamic revolution among pilgrims. Iranians have tried to transform the occasion of Hajj as their political platform, exploiting some of their nationals to confront other pilgrims and security forces, said the website. It also revealed that recently a Houthi leader, Mohammad Al- Maqaleh, wrote on his Facebook page that this year “during Hajj there would be incidents which would not have examples in the history.
Knock O men of Allah before the season so that you are crowned the day of staying in the mountain of Arafat.” The post also said that some Hajj pilgrims were organising protest marches resulting in bloody confrontations as in the Hajj of 1987. After that, Iran boycotted Hajj seasons between 1988 and 1990.
Only after that did Iranian delegations start coming for Hajj. In 1987, Iranian pilgrims indulged in rioting and political protests, holding the portrait of their leader, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, and shouting slogans of the Iranian revolution on one hand and condemning the United States and Israel on the other.
They created obstructions on roads. In the past, Iranian pilgrims also tried to storm the Holy Mosque of Makkah leading to confrontations between protesters and security forces. The Al-Muaisem tunnel incident of 1989 was the most dangerous incident in which Iran was involved.
News Telegraph.
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