A 73-year-old Nigerian woman from Adamawa State has died while performing the 2026 Hajj in Saudi Arabia. The pilgrim, identified as Mallama Aishatu Muhammadu, was from Gombi Local Government Area.
According to Ambassador Ismail Abba Yusuf, Chairman of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), she suffered a sudden cardiac arrest on Sunday while traveling from Jeddah to Madinah. He expressed the federal government’s condolences during a phone call with her brother, Umaru Jauro Koko.
Yusuf prayed for her soul to be granted Aljannatul Firdaus and for strength for her family. He assured them that the government would facilitate the return of her belongings, including her Basic Travel Allowance and death certificate, through the Adamawa State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Commission.
Mallama Aishatu is survived by multiple children, grandchildren, and a great-grandchild. Among them is Abdullahi Bello, a Divisional Officer with the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps in Ganye. She is the first reported Nigerian fatality during this year’s pilgrimage.