The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) yesterday told members of the House of Representatives that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was yet to pay compensation promised to the victims of the September 11, 2015 crane collapse in which six Nigerians died and another six were injured.

Addressing the House ad hoc panel investigating the 2015 Hajj and Umra operations, NAHCON Chairman, Abdulahi Mukhtar Mohammed said the Saudi government had pledged to pay compensation of one million riyals each to the families of the dead, and 500,000 riyals to the injured, but expressed dismay that “to date, Nigeria has not received a dime.”

Mohammed revealed that 274 victims were confirmed dead in the stampede, two were admitted to hospital and 47 were declared missing, after which more were confirmed alive, reducing the number of missing to 35.

“As at last week, 30 of them have been confirmed dead, and five still undergoing DNA profiling by the Saudi authority,” the commission chairman added.

He however, explained that officials of the commission were still pushing for payment of the compensations.