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

A faith-based civil society organization, CSO, the Independent Hajj Reporters, IHR, has urged the states and private Hajj operators to establish dedicated public communication lines for Hajj pilgrims to make inquiries and receive timely responses, especially during critical phases of the pilgrimage.

In a commentary by the organization and released on Tuesday by its national coordinator, Ibrahim Muhammad, said the call has become necessary given the nature of Hajj operations, where real-time information is often required during airlift, transit, and movement between holy sites.

“Pilgrims frequently seek clarification on logistics, welfare, and religious obligations, making immediate access to accurate information essential.

“Independent Hajj Reporters has continued to receive a surge of inquiries from intending pilgrims through its social media platforms and WhatsApp channels, highlighting a growing communication gap between pilgrims and state authorities.

“The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria has, however, set a precedent by opening multiple public communication channels where pilgrims can make inquiries, lodge complaints, and access guidance on key Hajj rites and operations.

“Stakeholders argue that if NAHCON, as a regulatory body, can sustain direct two-way communication with pilgrims, state Muslim pilgrims welfare boards and private Hajj operators who have closer contact with the pilgrims should adopt similar measures to improve service delivery.

“Most state intending pilgrims has contact with their registration officers and most state registration officers hardly accompany pilgrims to Saudi Arabia except with few states

“Most frontline private hajj operators makes their company and personal numbers available for the pilgrims while many others hardly responds to inquiries as at when desired.

“They stress that such communication lines would enhance coordination, reduce misinformation, and provide quick resolution to issues that may arise before and during the pilgrimage.

“Pilgrims, many of whom undertake the journey as a once-in-a-lifetime spiritual obligation, deserve accessible platforms to ask questions, seek clarification, and have their concerns addressed promptly,” IHR stated.

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.