NEWS
Families Search For Missing Pilgrims As Hajj Death Toll Surpasses 900
Friends and family members continued their frantic search for missing Hajj pilgrims on Wednesday as the death toll from the annual pilgrimage surged past 900.
The rituals, conducted in searing heat, saw temperatures in Mecca, Islam’s holiest city, soar to 51.8 degrees Celsius (125 degrees Fahrenheit) on Monday.
Relatives have been combing hospitals and posting pleas online, fearing the worst as about 1.8 million people, many elderly and infirm, participated in the predominantly outdoor pilgrimage, held this year during the scorching Saudi summer.
An Arab diplomat reported that deaths among Egyptians alone had risen to “at least 600,” up from more than 300 the previous day, largely due to the extreme heat. This figure brought the total reported deaths to 922, according to an AFP tally of figures released by various countries.
One of the missing pilgrims is Mabrouka bint Salem Shushana from Tunisia, in her early 70s, who has been unaccounted for since the pilgrimage’s climax on Saturday at Mount Arafat. Her husband, Mohammed, told AFP that due to her unregistered status and lack of an official Hajj permit, she was unable to access air-conditioned facilities.
“She’s an old lady. She was tired. She was feeling so hot, and she had no place to sleep,” he said. “I looked for her in all the hospitals. Until now I don’t have a clue.”
Social media platforms like Facebook have been inundated with pictures of the missing and requests for information. Among those searching for news is the family of Ghada Mahmoud Ahmed Dawood, an Egyptian pilgrim unaccounted for since Saturday. A family friend in Saudi Arabia, speaking anonymously to avoid angering the authorities, said, “The good news is that until now we did not find her on the list of the dead people, which gives us hope she is still alive.”
The Hajj, one of the five pillars of Islam, is an obligation for all Muslims with the means to complete it at least once. The timing is determined by the Islamic lunar calendar, causing the pilgrimage to shift forward each year in the Gregorian calendar. For the past several years, the rituals have taken place during the sweltering Saudi summer. A recent Saudi study noted that temperatures in the area are rising by 0.4 degrees Celsius (0.72 degrees Fahrenheit) each decade.
Fatalities have been confirmed by multiple countries including Jordan, Indonesia, Iran, Senegal, Tunisia, and Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan region. However, many authorities have not specified the causes of death.
A second Arab diplomat reported that Jordanian officials were searching for 20 missing pilgrims, although 80 others initially reported missing were located in hospitals. An Asian diplomat stated there were “around 68 dead” from India, with more missing. “Some died from natural causes and many were old-age pilgrims. Others, we assume, succumbed to the weather conditions,” he said.
Saudi Arabia has not provided information on fatalities but reported over 2,700 cases of “heat exhaustion” on Sunday alone. Last year, more than 200 pilgrims were reported dead, most of them from Indonesia.
Many pilgrims attempt to perform the Hajj through unofficial channels due to the high cost of official permits. This has become easier since 2019 with the introduction of a general tourism visa. “For these tourists, it’s like being on the migrant route without any idea of what to expect,” explained Umer Karim, an expert on Saudi politics at the University of Birmingham.
The Arab diplomat noted that many of the deceased Egyptians were unregistered. Even those with official permits are not immune, such as 70-year-old Houria Ahmad Abdallah Sharif from Egypt, who has been missing since Saturday after visiting a public bathroom at Mount Arafat.
“We’ve searched for her from door to door and we have not found her until now,” said a friend. “We know many who are still searching for their family members and relatives and they are not finding them, or if they are finding them, they are finding them dead.”
The Presidency has highlighted major development projects across Nigeria’s North Central region under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, covering eight key sectors, including road infrastructure, power, agriculture, education, aviation and security.
Sunday Dare, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communication and Presidential Spokesperson, disclosed this on Sunday, November 15, 2026, in a post on his X account.
According to Dare, the projects are designed to improve regional connectivity, expand economic opportunities, strengthen food security and promote development across communities in the region.
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He highlighted interventions spanning major road construction, renewable energy, agricultural support, educational development, security infrastructure and empowerment programmes.
In the road infrastructure sector, the listed projects include the Mararaban Jama’a–Pankshin–Langtang–Shendam–River Ibi corridor dual carriageway, Phase II rehabilitation of the Babban-Lamba–Sharan Road and construction of the Akwanga–Jos–Bauchi–Gombe–Biu–Maiduguri Superhighway.
Others include the construction of the 600-metre Akwanga Underpass, completion of the Lafia Bypass, reconstruction of the Bali–Serti–Gembu Road and construction of the Gembu–Mbamnga–Yang Road, which commenced in early 2025. Improvement works are also listed along the Jalingo–Wukari corridor.
In the aviation sector, the government highlighted approval for the construction of an airstrip on the Mambilla Plateau.
The power and renewable energy initiatives include a 40-megawatt hydropower plant at the Kashimbila Multipurpose Dam, expected to supply electricity to the national grid, as well as irrigation channels to support year-round farming.
Other interventions include the deployment of solar-powered mini-grids, installation of solar streetlights and provision of solar home systems to households.
On agriculture and food security, the Renewed Hope Agricultural Support Programme is expected to provide farmers with improved seedlings, fertiliser and agricultural training.
The list also includes support for hybrid potato farming, expansion of irrigated farmland through dam infrastructure and development of agricultural processing centres.
For women and youth empowerment, the initiatives include agricultural support for women and young farmers through the First Lady’s Renewed Hope Initiative.
Vocational skills development and certification for women, start-up grants for small businesses, market women empowerment through business training and start-up tools, as well as rural grants and skills development programmes, are also highlighted.
In education, the Federal Polytechnic Nasarawa is listed for transformation into the Federal University of Mining, Engineering and Technology, alongside expanded scholarship opportunities and improved access to higher education.
On security, the government outlined plans for the establishment of a new Army Division in Jalingo, Taraba State, alongside strengthened security deployment to protect farming communities and improve safety.
The eighth area focuses on regional development, with the North Central Development Commission identified as a long-term regional development initiative. Additional federal road projects are also expected to improve connectivity and support economic activities.
Dare’s disclosure highlights the administration’s focus on infrastructure expansion, agricultural productivity, energy access and human capital development as part of its Renewed Hope Agenda.
Vice President Kashim Shettima has departed Abuja for Jos, Plateau State, alongside his wife, Hajiya Nana Shettima, ahead of the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential campaign rally in the state.
The visit is part of the Tinubu–Shettima campaign’s engagements as the ruling party seeks to secure support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Vice President Shettima ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The campaign’s visit to Plateau is expected to highlight the Federal Government’s infrastructure and economic development projects in the state, particularly those aimed at improving road connectivity, boosting commerce and supporting agricultural activities.
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Among the projects highlighted by the administration is the ongoing 125-kilometre Akwanga–Jos highway, which forms part of the Akwanga–Bauchi–Gombe–Maiduguri Superhighway.
Other projects include the rehabilitation of the Sharram–Garram–Babban Lamba Road in Kanke and the approved Mararaban Jama’a–Kanke–Langtang–Shendam–Ibi Road, which is expected to improve connectivity between Plateau and Taraba states.
The administration says the projects are part of its broader development agenda to connect communities, facilitate access to markets and provide farmers and businesses with improved infrastructure.
The APC campaign is expected to use the rally to present the administration’s achievements and future plans while seeking the confidence of Plateau residents to continue its development agenda beyond 2027.
The Ogun State Police Command has presented cheques totalling ₦10.65 million to families and next-of-kin of deceased police officers who served under the command, as part of efforts to support dependants of personnel who died in active service.
The cheques, amounting to ₦10,658,391.36, were presented on Saturday, November 14, 2026, by the Commissioner of Police, CP Bode Ojajuni, on behalf of the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu.
The statement was signed by the Police Public Relations Officer of the Ogun State Command, DSP Oluseyi B. Babaseyi, anipr, and dated November 14, 2026.
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The presentation took place at the Command Headquarters in Eleweran, Abeokuta, under the Nigeria Police Force Group Life Assurance and the IGP Family Welfare Schemes.
The initiatives are designed to provide financial assistance to families of police officers who lost their lives while serving the country.
Accompanied by members of the Command Management Team, Ojajuni personally handed over the cheques to the beneficiaries.
Addressing the recipients, the police commissioner reaffirmed the Inspector-General’s commitment to the welfare of police personnel and their families.
He described the widows and families of the deceased officers as the “true superheroes”, acknowledging their resilience in coping with the loss of their loved ones who died in service to the nation.
Ojajuni noted that the financial intervention was a demonstration of the Force’s appreciation and institutional responsibility to support the families of fallen officers.
He said the initiative represented the Nigeria Police Force’s enduring commitment to standing by the dependants of personnel who paid the ultimate price in active service.
Responding on behalf of the beneficiaries, Mrs Ejembi Ada Veronica thanked the Inspector-General of Police and the Ogun State Police Command for remembering their families and providing financial assistance.
She assured the authorities that the money would be channelled towards the education, upkeep and general welfare of the children and dependants left behind by the deceased officers.
According to her, the intervention would provide timely relief and help improve the stability of the affected families.
The Ogun State Police Command reiterated its commitment to supporting the families of fallen officers, assuring them of its continued solidarity.
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