Residents of Madina UN in Accra were thrown into shock and confusion after a woman believed to have died during this year’s Hajj pilgrimage returned home alive, days after her family had held her funeral.
The woman, Fatima Kassim, was reported dead in Saudi Arabia, with a death certificate issued by Ghana’s consulate confirming the news. Based on this official documentation, her grieving family went ahead to organise her funeral in line with Islamic traditions.
However, in a dramatic twist, Fatima arrived home on Wednesday, July 2, leaving residents in disbelief. Many in the neighbourhood reportedly fled in fear, believing they had seen a ghost.
Speaking to Citi News’ Umaru Sanda Amadu during a visit to the family’s house in Madina, Fatima’s relatives expressed both joy and bewilderment.
“I feel happy and sad, because we are still confused about the situation. This is like a wonder”.
Explaining the incident, a member of the Hajj Taskforce, Alhaji Amadu Sorogho, admitted to an error in identification saying “We have mistaken identity. The most important thing is that the lady is alive and everything is over.”
Providing further clarification, Director of Administration of the Hajj Taskforce, Alhaji Iddi Sumaila, explained that two women were being attended to in a Saudi hospital, one with a tourist visa and the other officially registered with the Ghana Hajj delegation.
“There were two patients there, one had a tourist visa and the other went with us, but by then their passports were not with them. So we mistakenly gave the one with the tourist passport to this one.
“Usually, when it happens, it is the embassy that takes control, so they issued the certificate. So we knew that one was gone and one was on admission mistakenly, we exchanged it,” he said.
