An official of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, (NAHCON), Dr. Ibrahim Kana, told journalists in Abuja on Monday that after reconciliation it has now been confirmed that 222 Nigerians actually died.
There have been conflicting reports on the number of deaths but with this clarification, issues surrounding the number of those who died in the September 24 stampede may have been laid to rest.
Dr. Ibrahim Kana said that the majority of those who died have been buried while 130 pilgrims are still missing.
The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, through its Commissioner, Planning and Research, Dr Saleh Okenwa, had earlier put the number at 199, stating that 121 pilgrims were still missing.
As at last count over 1,600 pilgrims were killed on September 24 in a crush at Mina, outside the Muslim Holy City of Mecca, where close to three million people were performing the annual Hajj pilgrimage.
Over 900 others were injured in the stampede, which took place on Street 204 of the camp city at Mina, a few kilometers east of Mecca, where pilgrims stay for several days during the climax of the Hajj.
