Nasarawa pilgrim Hajiya Rukayya Haliru dies in Makkah at 70 after brief illness during 2026 Hajj exercise.
The Nasarawa State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board has confirmed the death of one of its 2026 pilgrims, Hajiya Rukayya Haliru, who died at the age of 70 in the Holy City of Makkah after a brief illness.
The incident was contained in a statement signed by the Executive Secretary of the Board, Mallam Idris Ahmad-Almakura, through the Board’s Public Relations Officer, Abdulrazaq Muhammed, and obtained by journalists in Lafia, the Nasarawa State capital.
Mallam Ahmad-Almakura confirmed that the deceased, who hailed from Keffi Local Government Area, fell ill while in Saudi Arabia and died despite receiving prompt medical attention.
“The deceased fell ill and, despite receiving prompt medical attention, breathed her last this morning,” he said, describing her death as a huge loss to the Board, the state, and the entire Muslim community.
He added that officials of the Board, alongside family members, were present at the hospital to oversee the preparation and transportation of her remains to the Grand Mosque in Makkah, where the Janazah prayer was performed by Imam Faisal Jamil before she was laid to rest according to Islamic rites.
Mallam Almakura also advised other pilgrims to prioritise their health and promptly report any symptoms to medical teams attached to the pilgrimage mission.
“We advise all remaining pilgrims to prioritise their health and report any symptoms early to the medical teams attached to the Board,” he said.
He extended condolences to the Nasarawa State Government, the family of the deceased, and the management and staff of the Pilgrims Welfare Board, describing the loss as deeply painful.
In a related development, a relative of the deceased, Abdulwab Aboki, who witnessed the process in Makkah, expressed appreciation to the Board for its support and transparency during the period.
He said the family would relay all details of the burial process to relatives back home in Nasarawa State and prayed that Almighty Allah grants the deceased Jannatul Firdaus.
The Board reiterated its commitment to the welfare and safety of all Nasarawa pilgrims currently performing the 2026 Hajj exercise in Saudi Arabia.