Left for dead, hajj stampede survivor gets Tambuwal’s warm embrace

September 11 means different things to different people. It was the day, in 2001, that terrorists attacked the Twin Towers in New York. In the life of Hajiya Fatima Isa, known as Dammu in her Sokoto South LGA community, it was the day, in 2015, that she saw death and lived. Over 2,000 men and women from around the world did not survive the encounter.

As Muslim worshipers trooped to the jamrat to perform the symbolic stoning of the devil at the annual Muslim pilgrimage of hajj, an uncontrollable wave of mass movement of persons from different directions got stuck, resulting in the deadliest stampede seen in the history of the hajj.

At the end of it, 274 Nigerians were confirmed dead, with double that number injured and 47 others still missing. Dammu’s home state of Sokoto alone lost 114 pilgrims with 22 missing and two injured.

While one of the other injured was treated and discharged by a Saudi hospital last year, Dammu’s condition was not stable enough for her to leave the hospital and undergo the rigours of a long journey back home.

After initially losing her memory from the incident, it took about a month for her to regain composure and talk coherently. Luckily for her, she came by just at a time some Nigerian officials were visiting hospitals searching for more victims.

Without any form of identity, her deep Sokoto accent gave an indication of which state she was from. It turned out to be a grace as she was quickly identified.

After hearing of her story, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, governor of Sokoto state, visited her in Saudi Arabia where he prayed for her and announced a donation of N500,000 for her upkeep as soon as she returns home next weekend.

While visiting her at the East Jedda Hospital in Saudi Arabia Thursday morning, Tambuwal called her grandson where they spoke.

In tears, she said she was okay and was looking forward to returning home.

Tambuwal also directed that she be kept under close examination by government doctors.