The Ghana Hajj Board has indicated that 68-year-old Ghanaian, Zulfawu Ishaku, reported dead while on pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia was not a member of the team it took for the holy pilgrimage.
“The Ghana Hajj Board wishes to state that the reported death of a Ghanaian lady Zulfawu Isahaku is something the board like others, read from a section of the media.
“The deceased is not part of our registered Ghanaian pilgrims performing this year’s Hajj,” the statement said.
The first batch of 433 Ghanaian pilgrims were airlifted from Tamale to Saudi Arabia on Friday June 9.
It is unclear what caused Zulfawu’s death but sources say she went through difficult times during her stay which led to a worsening medical situation, resulting in her demise.
The deceased believed to have hailed from Kumasi in the Ashanti Region is said to have been on a visiting visa, which is not allowed by Saudi authorities for pilgrimage.
This year, the Ghana Hajj Board warned would-be pilgrims not to attempt to travel to Saudi Arabia with such visas as they would be arrested and handed over to the authorities. Over the weekend, three of such persons were arrested.
Meanwhile, the Hajj Board has noted that although it appears the woman is Ghanaian, the matter is one that the authorities in Saudi Arabia have to handle.
“The subject as it is falls within the remit of the Ghana High Commission in Saudi Arabia. We are unable therefore to comment on the subject,” Board said in a statement.