ABUJA, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)-The Permanent Secretary for Special Services in the Office of the Secretary to the Bauchi State Government, Shehu Yahaya Jalam, has died in Makkah, raising the number of Nigerian pilgrims who have died during the 2026 Hajj exercise in Saudi Arabia to five.
Earlier, the Head of the Nigerian Medical Mission, Dr. Ibrahim Abubakar, confirmed in Makkah that four Nigerian pilgrims had died, all of them women whose deaths were linked to cardiac-related conditions.
A total of 54 Nigerian pilgrims have also been hospitalised so far, with 24 referred from Madinah and 30 from Makkah for urgent medical attention.
Among the reported cases was Mallama Aishatu Muhammadu, 73, from Adamawa State, who died of cardiac arrest while travelling from Jeddah to Madinah, becoming the first recorded fatality.
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Another pilgrim, Hajiya Rukayya Haliru, 70, from Nasarawa State, also died in Makkah after falling ill.
NAHCON said four of the deceased pilgrims were female, while the latest casualty, the Bauchi permanent secretary, was male.
According to the commission, harsh weather conditions, strenuous Hajj activities, and underlying health challenges contributed to the deaths.
Jalam, who held the traditional title of Turakin Dawakin Misau, reportedly died in the early hours of Sunday after a brief illness while participating in the 2026 Hajj pilgrimage as part of the Bauchi State contingent.
The Bauchi State Government, in a statement signed by Governor Bala Mohammed’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mukhtar Gidado, described the development as a moment of deep sorrow for the state.
“The Government and people of Bauchi State have received with deep sorrow the news of the death of Alhaji Shehu Yahaya Jalam (Turakin Dawakin Misau), the Permanent Secretary, Special Services, Office of the Secretary to the State Government, Bauchi, who passed away in the early hours of today in Makkah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, after a brief illness while participating in the 2026 Hajj exercise,” the statement said.
Gidado described the late permanent secretary as a committed and hardworking public servant who dedicated his life to the service of Bauchi State.
“Until his death, Alhaji Shehu Yahaya Jalam was a dedicated, loyal, and hardworking public servant who devoted his life and energy to the service of Bauchi State.
“He played significant roles in the successful coordination of previous Hajj operations and other government assignments entrusted to him,” he said.
He added that the loss extended beyond government circles.
“His passing is a great loss not only to his family and colleagues but also to the entire Bauchi State Government and the wider community who benefited from his commitment, humility, and sense of duty,” Gidado said.
The funeral prayer for the deceased was held on Sunday after the Zuhr prayer at the Holy Mosque of the Ka’aba in Makkah.
Governor Bala Mohammed also condoled with the deceased’s family, the Office of the Secretary to the State Government, the Office of the Head of Civil Service, the Misau and Dambam Emirate Councils, as well as friends and associates of the late official.
He prayed for God to forgive the deceased’s shortcomings, grant him Aljannatul Firdaus, and give his family the strength to bear the loss.
It would be recalled that six intending pilgrims from Taraba State died in Nigeria before the airlift for the Hajj exercise.
Those deaths were not included among fatalities recorded in Saudi Arabia during the pilgrimage.