By Olugbenga Salami

The Independent Hajj Reporters, IHR, monitoring team has commended the Bauchi State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board and other stakeholders for a well-coordinated and seamless airlift of pilgrims from the Bauchi zone for the 2026 Hajj.

In a statement signed by IHR National Coordinator Ibrahim Muhammad, the team said it observed a high level of dedication and organisation from the Hajj camp to the airport throughout the exercise.

Officials, it noted, maintained order and efficiency, ensuring smooth movement of pilgrims during departures.

The IHR singled out Executive Secretary of the board, Imam AbdulRahaman, for his hands-on leadership, saying he was consistently present with pilgrims and personally accompanied them to the point of boarding at every stage of the airlift.

It also praised NAHCON zonal officials in Bauchi for their strong commitment to coordination.

According to the team, the use of uniforms, identification tags and clearly defined roles by Bauchi officials improved coordination and made it easier for pilgrims to identify and seek assistance.

Operational data showed steady progress over several days. On May 6, Umza flight UY3507 departed Bauchi for Madinah with 481 Plateau pilgrims, bringing total airlifts to 6,493 across 15 flights.

On May 7, two flights—UY3509 and UY3511—transported 958 pilgrims from Bauchi and Plateau, raising the total to 10,576 pilgrims across 25 flights.

Flight UY3513 on May 8 airlifted 479 pilgrims, while UY3515 on May 9 conveyed 485 Bauchi pilgrims. By May 10, flight UY3517 departed with 476 pilgrims, including one from Jigawa State.

Cumulatively, 16,932 pilgrims had been airlifted in 40 flights as of May 10, which the IHR described as a highly efficient and coordinated exercise.

By Olugbenga Salami

A Nigerian pilgrim from Gombi Local Government Area of Adamawa State, Mallama Aishatu Muhammadu, has died in Saudi Arabia during the ongoing 2026 Hajj.

The 73-year-old suffered a fatal cardiac arrest on Sunday while traveling from Jeddah to Madinah, according to the Chairman of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, NAHCON, Ambassador Ismail Abba Yusuf.

In a statement, Yusuf said he had conveyed the Federal Government’s condolences to the family of the deceased in a phone call to her brother, Umaru Jauro Koko.

He prayed that Allah grant her Aljannatul Firdaus and give the family fortitude to bear the loss.

The NAHCON chairman assured the family of government support to ensure the safe return of her personal effects, including her Basic Travel Allowance, BTA, and death certificate, through the Adamawa State Pilgrims Welfare Commission.

Mallama Aishatu is survived by several children, grandchildren, and a great-grandchild, including Abdullahi Bello, Divisional Officer of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, Ganye Division.

She is the first Nigerian pilgrim reported to have died in Saudi Arabia during this year’s Hajj.

By Abdul-Ganiyy Akanbi

Faith-based civil society organisation, CSO, the Independent Hajj Reporters, IHR, has set up a special media team to monitor the 2026 Hajj operations in Nigeria and Saudi Arabia.

The committee comprises credentialed media professionals from print, online, and broadcast platforms with extensive experience in the Hajj and Umrah industry.

In a statement signed by IHR National Coordinator, Ibrahim Muhammad, the organisation said the team has been deployed across departure points and Hajj camps to monitor the conduct of pilgrims and officials.

The team, according to Muhammad would document activities through video and photographs for inclusion in its 2026 Hajj Report, which will be submitted to the Chairman/CEO of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, NAHCON, Ambassador Ismail Abba Yusuf after the exercise.

The committee is chaired by Nasiru Lawal, former Editor of Daily Trust and current Editor‑in‑Chief of Dateline Nigeria, while Soliu Oyesiji will serve as secretary.

Other members include Nuruddeen M. Abdallah, National Secretary of IHR and former Investigative Editor of Daily Trust; Sani Tukur, Director of Media Publications at IHR; Jidda Abubakar Usman, veteran Hajj and broadcast journalist; Suleiman Tola, retired Managing Editor of the News Agency of Nigeria; and Mustapha Hodi, publisher of Bizpoint and an executive member of the organisation.

Also on the team are Hajiya Medina Dauda, veteran media professional, and Maryam Najeem, Administrative Secretary of IHR.

The organisation said the committee’s mandate is to complement NAHCON’s regulatory role by providing policy direction and supervising the Hajj and Umrah industry, adding that the report would assist the commission in shaping the regulatory policy framework for the Hajj ecosystem.

Muhammad said the initiative would support data gathering on operational conduct, which would form part of the post‑Hajj review process and guide recommendations aimed at improving service delivery.

He added that IHR, established in 2013 to monitor and report on Hajj and Umrah activities in Nigeria and Saudi Arabia, had activated its monitoring arm to further enhance standards in the Hajj sector.