In what will come across as a really startling development, Nigeria has lost another two pilgrims who are participating in the ongoing Hajj operations in Saudi Arabia

This was announced on Thursday by the Kwara State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board.

The deceased, Salman Muhammad Alade and Ayishat Shuaib Ologele were part of the Kwara State pilgrims until their deaths after brief illnesses.

The Executive Secretary, Kwara State Pilgrims Welfare Board, Abdulsalam Abdulkadir, expressed his profound condolences to the families of the deceased, asking Allah to grant them comfort and forgive the deceased.

Abdulkadir had earlier announced the death of Hajia Hawawu Muhammad through “an unfortunate suicidal episode from the rooftop of her apartment in Madina.”

He also disclosed that the other pilgrim who died in Madina, Saliu Mohammed, died in an intensive care unit of a public hospital after suddenly falling ill.

The death of the latest two Kwara pilgrims brought the number of Nigerian pilgrims who had died in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to 11 ahead of this year’s Hajj, which commences on Friday.

Two pilgrims from Kebbi State, Hajiya Tawalkatu Busare Alako, popularly known as Maman Biyu, were the first to die on May 25 in Makkah a few days after arriving at the holy city from Madina while barely 24 hours after Alhaji Muhammad Suleman died in Makkah.

The Kebbi State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board also announced that Abubakar Abdullahi from Gulma town in Argungu Local Government Area of the state died in Makkah.

In May, the board announced the death of Tawakaltu Alamo and Muhammad Suleiman who also hailed from Kebbi State.

A Lagos State pilgrim, 68-year-old Oloshogbo Isiaka Idris, died on Tuesday, May 28 also in Makkah, after returning from the Grand Mosque, where he went to perform tawaf (circumambulation) as part of Umrah (lesser Hajj).