₦airaland Forum

Alhaja Ramota Bankole, a key All Progressives Congress leader in Lagos, was one of more than 1,000 who died on the Hajj pilgrimage in Mecca.

A renowned veteran politician and member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) party in Nigeria, was among over 1,000 pilgrims who died in extreme heat during the annual Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia.

The death of Alhaja Ramota Bankole, the former Welfare Secretary of APC’s Lagos chapter, was confirmed dead by local officials on Thursday.

The death toll from this year's Hajj has exceeded 1,000, an AFP tally said on Thursday, with over half of those who died being unregistered worshippers who joined the pilgrimage through irregular channels.

Top Nigerian officials shared their condolences of the late Bankole, who was said to have celebrated her 60th birthday prior to leaving for the Gulf state.

"Her death is most shocking and unfortunate. She was a committed and experienced party leader," Seye Oladejo, APC's Publicity Secretary told state-owned news outlet News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

"The deceased was a proven mobiliser and inspiration for women participation in politics. May her precious soul in peace."

The local government of the Lagos town of Epe, where Bankole was based, also expressed their grief on the politician's passing.

"It is with a heavy heart, and a deep sense of grief that I received the news of the death of Alhaja Ramota Bankole," Epe local government chairwoman Surah Animashaun said in a statement.

"It is a sad day indeed as I received the news that she died in the holy land of Mecca while on holy pilgrimage."

About 10 countries have reported 1,081 deaths during the Hajj pilgrimage.

Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam, which every Muslim with the financial and physical means is required to undertake at least once in their lifetime.

Nigeria reported earlier this month that two of its nationals died while performing the pilgrimage, who were identified as Salman Alade and Ayishat Ologele.

In Medina, authorities also confirmed the deaths of another two Nigerian pilgrims, Saliu Mohammed and Hawawu Mohammed.

Other countries, including Malaysia, India, Jordan, Iran, Senegal, Tunisia, Sudan, and Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan region, have confirmed fatalities. In most of the instances, the cause of death has not been specified by authorities.

On Thursday, more fatalities were also officiated by Pakistan and Indonesia, as friends and relatives have continued to search for missing pilgrims.

Saudi Arabia has not disclosed the number of fatalities during Hajj but reported over 2,700 cases of "heat exhaustion" on Sunday alone.

Last year, various countries reported more than 300 deaths, primarily among Indonesian pilgrims.

The Hajj dates shift about 11 days earlier each year in the Gregorian calendar. Next year, it will occur in early June, potentially cooler weather conditions.

Hajj is being increasingly affected by climate change, with the UN's intergovernmental panel on climate change warning parts of the Gulf could become uninhabitable by the end of the century.

More than 10,000 heat-related illnesses were recorded last year, 10 percent of them heat stroke, a Saudi official told AFP this week.

A Saudi study said regional temperatures were rising by 0.4 C each decade, and worsening heat may be outpacing mitigation measures.

Hajj has witnessed several disasters over the years, including a tragic stampede during the "stoning the devil" ritual in 2015, which resulted in up to 2,300 deaths.

https://www-newarab-com.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/www.newarab.com/news/prominent-nigerian-party-leader-dies-hajj-heatwave

Creamcrest:
Rip man.

Man

Over 1,000 have died already from this year's hajj.

These people sef, Must dey go to Hajj to throw Stones before Allah accepts their prayers.
They can start throwing stones in Kwara or Kano, after all, Allah dey everywhere no be so.

She died a good woman fulfilling her religious obligations.

Better to die in the house of your God serving Him than to die in shrine of Idols.

Better to go to the house of mourners and mourn with them, than go to the house of Rich fools and merry with them.

Instead of stoning the Satan,nah Satan dey STONE dem.
Why not go to all these mountain in the country pray and go back home? Who told them God reside/hide in Saudi/Jerusalem

Islamic religion is a waste of time and energy. The devil is stoning them to death instead the other way round

Chiefpriestt:
Islamic religion is a waste of time and energy. The devil is stoning them to death instead the other way round

Devil don't fûck around. He's stoning them right back!

It's so unfortunate that she died. It's an indicator that it is not all opportunities that one should take. Pass some down the line.

They all went to the hajj to stone the devil o.The reverse is now the case.

Hmm
Fighting devil while wearing his robe.
It sad that people have been so misled by political cult, Islam, such that they begin to believe they will support evil at home but travel to Saudi Arabia to stone devil.

Depriest2020:
He died a good man fulfilling his religious obligations.

Better to die in the house of your God serving Him than to die in shrine of Idols.

Better to go to the house of mourners and mourn with them, than go to the house of Rich fools and merry with them.

This is to show that a lot of you dont read before commenting. The person that died was it a man or a woman?

EmeeNaka:
Hmm
Fighting devil while wearing his robe.
It sad that people have been so misled by political cult, Islam, such that they begin to believe they will support evil at home but travel to Saudi Arabia to stone devil.

72 virgins with eternal erection na your mate?

How did someone dying from a natural phenomenon related to a religion rite. How can the devil have the power to control what God control?. This is not about your pastors that are following the devil deceit, your false prophets doing the devils bidding or your churches following a book written by Roman Pagans and dished out to you Christians and called it word from God. This natural phenomenon did not mean our God is wicked or merciless. This do not mean that those who died have automatic ticket to paradise as some fools are here saying.

IbnB:
Devil don't fûck around. He's stoning them right back!

Religion as an opium is very powerful.If well meaning,well traveled and educated folks are held bound like this,no surprise about the poor then.
This death courtesy of rise in temp didn't start today yet people put their families in mourning just to go stone a "wall". the

There's Zuma rock,Aso rock,Olumo rock etc.
There's the National Muslim center

Lemos14:
This is to show that a lot of you dont read before commenting. The person that died was it a man or a woman?

Fixed! You can now unquote me.

Mvnster:
72 virgins with eternal erection na your mate?

this one na woman so definitely 72 hefty men for gang bang

Some years back, a crane collapsed and many pilgrims perished, honest truth is calamities happen everywhere irrespective of what ever you think


People are dying in Nigeria because of cholera due to poor hygiene and ineffective system


Extreme weather is natural, and certain regions are more affected

However I think the Saudi govt needed to do more to safe guard the lives of pilgrim , they make trillions of dollar yearly, so people should be very safe over there

Prigidypogodo:
this one na woman so definitely 72 hefty men for gang bang

You want to kill mama ghost?