Less than 24 hours to the commencement of the Hajj ritual, a pilgrim from Kano State, Shu’aibu Jibrin, has been confirmed dead in Makkah, Saudi Arabia.

The passage of Jibrin was confirmed by the spokesperson of the Kano State Pilgrim Welfare Board, Mal. Suleiman Dederi.

The pilgrim was said to have died at a Saudi hospital after a brief illness on Tuesday.

A relative of the deceased, Sama’uddin Aliyu Kadawa, who is also on pilgrimage, also confirmed the incident in an interview with journalists in Makkah, Saudi Arabia.

According to Aliyu, the late Jibrin was a farmer from Gargai in Bebeji Local Government Area. He stated that although he had a history of ulcer and hypertension, doctors at the hospital confirmed he suffered cardiac arrest and heart failure.

“He was okay when he left home. After he became ill, he was admitted to King Abdulazeez Hospital for two days and was discharged after his health improved.

“Unfortunately, his condition worsened again yesterday, and he was rushed back to the hospital. Despite the efforts of our Nigerian doctors and the medical team at the hospital, he passed away around 2:50 a.m.,” he added.