Taraba Pilgrim Set for Airlift Dies Hours Before Trip to Saudi Arabia
By Abdulrazaq Auwal
A female pilgrim from Taraba State, Hajiya Dado Hammadu, has died in Yola, Adamawa State, ahead of the commencement of the state’s 2026 Hajj airlift operations.
Hajiya Dado, who hailed from Sardauna Local Government Area of Taraba State, died after a brief illness on Monday.
She was among the 415 intending pilgrims scheduled to depart for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the first batch of Taraba pilgrims this Monday, May 11, 2026.
Funeral prayers for the deceased were held at the Aliyu Mustapha International Airport, Yola, shortly before the departure of the inaugural flight.
The prayer session attracted the Special Adviser to the Governor on Muslim Pilgrims Affairs, Alhaji Hamman’Adama Tukur; Chairman of the Airport Committee, Malam Jamal Abdul’nasir; officials of the Board; and hundreds of intending pilgrims preparing for the airlift.
In a condolence message, the Board sympathized with the family of the deceased and prayed for Almighty Allah to grant her Aljannatul Firdaus.
The incident comes amid earlier reports by Hajj Gazette regarding the deaths of six Taraba pilgrims during preparatory stage of the Hajj operations.
