TheCable

The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has confirmed the return of Fatima Isa, (pictured left) the last Nigerian pilgrim, who survived the 2015 Hajj stampede in Saudi Arabia.

Uba Mana, NAHCON’s head of media and publicity, confirmed this in a statement, saying the pilgrim was admitted in East Jeddah Hospital.

Mana said she arrived Kano on Friday, from where she connected her home state of Sokoto.

“The pilgrim arrived at Malam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA) on Friday January 22, 2016, on board a Med-View Airline Flight VL0202, accompanied by staff of the Nigerian Consulate in Jeddah,” Mana said.

“She was received on arrival by staff of the NAHCON and leadership of the Sokoto State Pilgrims Welfare Agency (SSPWA).”

He added that NAHCON commended the Saudi Arabian authorities and Nigeria’s Foreign Missions in Saudi Arabia for taking care of the pilgrim throughout her stay in the hospital.

Earlier in the year, Aminu Tambuwal, governor of Sokoto state, visited Isa in the hospital.

The stampede occurred during Hajj rites in Mina in September 2015.

Nearly 250 Nigerians died in the disaster, which claimed over 2,000 lives, though the Saudi authorities pegged the death toll at 769.