Hajj stampede: 43 Nigerians still missing as states submit DNA profiles

 Forty-three Nigerians are still missing in Saudi Arabia as state pilgrims boards submit the DNA profiles of their missing pilgrims.

 The State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare ‎Boards had submitted the DNA profiles of analysis conducted on relatives of missing pilgrims, a senior NAHCON official told Daily Trust on Saturday.

 Saudi authorities had shunned requests by the President of Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs and Sultan of Sokoto Sa’ad Abubakar; the 2015 head of Nigerian hajj delegation, Emir of Kano Muhammadu Sunusi II as well as that of National Hajj Commission of Nigeria to be included in the probe of the stampede.

Nigeria lost over 300 pilgrims in the stampede and will submit the DNA files to Saudi Arabian authorities’ ‎for further analysis on bodies of unidentified pilgrims.

Saudi authorities refused visa for a team from Iranian coroner’s office to identify dead bodies of the Hajj pilgrims, official from Iranian coroner’s office Ahmad Shojaei has said.

"No response has yet been received on the part of Saudi government about DNA examination of the victims," Shojaie told Iran’s official news agency, IRNA. 

Shojaei said the Mina human tragedy proved to what extent the genetic bank is necessary. 

"In the future, the DNA files of different groups and strata must be prepared because the bank is needed in similar tragedies," he said.