Nigerian pilgrims who participated in the 2025 Hajj are set to begin their return journey as Saudi Arabia on Monday officially declared the successful and peaceful completion of this year’s pilgrimage for the Islamic year 1446.
According to Saudi authorities, over 1.67 million pilgrims took part in the sacred rites, including thousands of Nigerians.
The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has announced that return flights for Nigerian pilgrims will commence on June 9. The Commission confirmed that all pilgrimage activities had concluded smoothly.
While many pilgrims expressed gratitude for the opportunity to fulfill the religious obligation, NAHCON reported that seven Nigerian pilgrims died during the exercise. The deceased, who were from Oyo, Abia, Edo, Plateau, and Kano States, were said to have suffered cardiac arrest and heart failure. They were buried in Saudi Arabia in accordance with Islamic rites.
Despite the loss, the number of recorded deaths in 2025 is significantly lower than that of the previous year, when no fewer than 30 Nigerian pilgrims died during the Hajj.
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