BY KHALID IDRIS DOYA, Bauchi
Officials of the AYM Shafa Foundation have condoled with the families of eight people who lost their lives in the scramble to get the annual monetary Zakkat of N10, 000 per individual in Bauchi last Sunday.
A renowned Bauchi Islamic scholar, Dr. Ibrahim Adamu Disina who spoke on behalf of the delegates during the visitation to the family houses of the victims yesterday where they confirmed that eight people died in an unfortunate incident.
The delegation prayed for the repose of the deceased, whom it noted, their deaths were destined by God to be last Sunday, and equally prayed that the souls of the deceased be in Jannatul Firdaus.
Condoling families of the victims, Dr. Ibrahim Disina said that it is a delegation from Abdulmimini Foundation under which auspices the AYM Shafa Zakkat was Sunday given out to beneficiaries, some of whom lost their during the scramble for the money.
The delegation which comprised a cream of businessmen, retired public officers, technocrats and some relatives of Shafa said they found it most appropriate not to wait until AYM Shafa who is now outside the country to come back before paying the condolence visit.
A father to a 13-year girl deceased, Aisha, Usman Abdulmimini commended the Shafa Company for showing remoteness to the incident, but however advised Alh. Yakubu Mohammed (AYM) to change the pattern of giving out zakkat, preparably through the bank by collecting account details of the would-be beneficiaries.
Also speaking, Suleimanu Adamu Duguri who lost a daughter in the incident, Maryam Suleiman recalled that the family of the deceased has billed to give out Maryam for marriage two weeks after the forthcoming Eid-el fitr when she eventually lost her life in the stampede.
All families’ members of the deceased have tied the deaths of their beloved ones to destined ordained by the Creator, and expressed gratitude for the humanitarian gesture of the commodities and money donated them by the Abdulmumini Foundation made up of two bags of rice, one bag each of millet and maize and a token of N250, 000 to each of the right families of the deceased.
Meanwhile, Police Authorities in Bauchi have confirmed the casualties in Sunday AYM Shafa zakkat distribution stampede thereby giving the number of seven (7) deaths in the unfortunate incident.
The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Ahmed Mohammed Wakil who issued the confirmation to the press Monday, gave the names of the seven victims that perished in the zakkat grasp.
They Aisha Usman ‘aged 13-year-old of Gwang-gwang-gwang quarters; Sahura Abubakar 55-year-old of Unguwan Bauchi; Aisha Ibrahim Abubakar ‘f’ aged 43yrs of kobi Street Bauchi; and Khadija isah aged 8yrs of Karofi quarters in Bauchi metropolis.
Others, the PPRO outlined, included Maryam Suleiman ‘aged 20years of Khandahar Quarters, Bauchi; Maryam Shuibu aged 16 years of Gwangwangwan Quarters, Bauchi; and Hassana Saidu aged 53 years of Dutsen Tanshi Quarters, Bauchi.
SP Ahmed Wakil told the press, “These are the number of victims confirmed dead by medical doctors at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital (ATBUTH) Bauchi”.
