A Nigerian Muslim body, Ansar-Ud-Deen Society of Nigeria, has said it is calling for a nationwide prayer for all the victims of the fallen crane and the Mina stampede during this year holy pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia.
The body, in a statement on Thursday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji M.A. Adebanjo, said the special prayer was called by its National President, Alhaji Lafeef Okunnu (SAN).
It said the prayer would hold on Sunday, October 4, 2015.
The society commiserated with the families of those who died and prayed for the quick recovery of all the survivors currently receiving treatment in the hospital as well as the re-union of those still missing.
The statement partly read, “We pray the Almighty Allah to forgive their sins and reward them with Al-janat firdaus and grant those still being hospitalised quick recovery. For those that are still missing, we beseech Allah to grant them safe re-union with their families.”
The society, however, joined the Federal Government in demanding a probe into the Mina stampede from the Saudi Arabian authorities in order to forestall future recurrence of the tragic incidents.
In the same vein, another Muslim organisation, Nasrul-Lahi-Fathi Society, not only demanded a probe into the incident but also called on the Saudi Arabian authorities to reach out to the families of the victims to mitigate the effect of the deaths on them.
NASFAT, in a separate statement by its President, Kamil Bolarinwa, said, “We believe people should be held accountable; but the overall objective should be the entrenchment of a system that will, in the future, remove such failings, human and infrastructural, from subsequent Hajj operations.
“However, while the investigation by the Saudi authorities is going on, we enjoin the Ummah to avoid any comment capable of undermining the unity of Islam.
“This is the time to remain steadfast and prayerful, a time to totally submit, as true Muslims, to the will of Allah.
“We also call on the Saudi authorities to spare no effort to provide adequate medical care for those who sustained varying degrees of injuries during the stampede and we urge them to intensify effort in the search for all missing pilgrims.
“Beyond this, we call on the Saudi authorities to commence a process to reach out to the families of the victims in order to mitigate the effect of the deaths on them, even as we acknowledge that no compensation can assuage the irreparable loss they have suffered.”
Meanwhile, Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State on Thursday said all Nigerians who went to Saudi Arabia for this year’s pilgrimage would be accounted for.
This, the governor assured Nigerians, would be ensured in spite of the twin tragedies of the crane crash and the stampede that marred this year’s Hajj.
Tambuwal gave the assurance when he visited families of those affected by the tragedy in Sokoto.
A statement issued by Imam Imam, the governor’s spokesperson in Sokoto, noted that, “Hajj officials are working round the clock to ensure that all victims are properly identified and documented. The areas mostly affected in Sokoto State are Illela, Binji and Wamakko local government areas.”
Addressing the families during a stop in Jamali village of Binji Local Government Area, Tambuwal said the government was still collating the number of pilgrims who died, injured or missing.
He announced that as soon as the collation was done, government would assist the families in the best way possible.
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