Hajj 2023: 13 Nigerians died in Saudi Arabia – NAHCON—At least 13 out of 95,000 Nigerians died during the 2023 Hajj in Saudi Arabia.

National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) while revealing this, announced that it recorded seven death pre-Arafah and another six in Arafah.

In his presentation at the post-Arafah meeting in Makkah, on Sunday, NAHCON Head National Medical Team (NMT), Dr. Usman Galadima, revealed that four died at Arafah while another two died at Mina, bringing the number of deaths that recorded among the Nigerian pilgrims since the commencement of Hajj to 13.

According to Dr. Galadima, there were two reported cases of deliveries of term pregnancies, and three reported cases of Chickenpox.

He said, “Some of the challenges faced in Mina include increased pressure on the ambulance services, increase congestion in Mina, and poor sanitization”.

Dr. Galadima said of the 25,722 patients attended to, 15,268 are female, while the remaining 10,454 are male.

According to the report by NAHCON NMT, Kaduna and Osun States lost two pilgrims each, Plateau, Borno, Yobe, FCT, Benue, and Lagos lost one pilgrim each, while tour operators lost three pilgrims.

In a related development, NAHCON Head of Aviation, Engr Goni Sanda, has announced that the return inaugural flight is scheduled to depart the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for Nigeria on Tuesday July 4, 2023.

According to the NAHCON Head of Aviation, the pilgrims and even officials will be treated on the “first come, first to depart system”.

“By our calculation, most officials will spend nothing more than 45 days in Saudi Arabia to ensure smooth return of Nigerians home,” he added.

According to him, the return flight operation will last between July 4 to August 3, 2023, assuring that “94, 987 will be returned home safely”.

Who’s Afraid Of General Buratai?—-By Biodun Adeniyi—Nigerian political landscape is full of intrigues and brinkmanship. It’s full of the proverbial ‘banana peel’ and ‘pull him down syndrome’ which has become the trademark of some political jobbers, always seeing their mischief as a political tool of blackmail.

Even long after his retirement from the Army where he distinguished himself and ambassadorial position by his commander in chief, President Muhammadu Buhari, the mischief makers will not allowed General Tukur Buratai rest.

His towering image and support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has become a nightmare of sort for those who were not ready to stick out their neck when it mattered most. It’s therefore, not surprising that he has become a FACTOR and reccuring decimal in Nigerian political landscape.

The recent cowardly attack through an online portal to reopen an issue that has nothing to do with his persona is a pointer to how far his traducers will go to create confusion and shouted wolf where none exist. What’s at stake? Who is afraid of General Tukur Buratai? Why has he suddenly become the issue again? Who’s threatened that he may be assigned a higher responsibility in the new government. These posers and many more have become necessary since those who are afraid of his towering image has become implacable and will do anything to create a false impression about him.

One fact that has continued to stare the group of these political hecklers in the face is that General Tukur Yussuf Buratai is an open book. He has been examined times without number without blemish, either in or out of the military. It’s therefore baffling that those who cannot fault his credentials as soldiers soldier, has latched on to a fail rehash by serial blackmailer, whose stock in trade is the unnecessary hysteria about the soaring image of Buratai. It is an open secret that some disgruntled politicians have besieged the media looking for hack writers to hoodwink with their old fairy tales. And unfortunately, the whole lies collapsed like a tissue of lies since truth is constant. Buratai’s adept philosophy, qui sera sera, comes handy here; it does not really matter how many pebbles are hurled at him as history beckons. According to the popular saying, it’s only tree with nourished fruits that had to contend with forecious attack of those who wants to partake from its richness. General Buratai is adequately prepared for the onerous task ahead; he will not be cowed nor stampeded by those afraid of their own shadows.

Biodun Adeniyi sent this piece from Lagos