Residents of Madina UN, a suburb of Accra, were left stunned and bewildered after a woman believed to have died during this year’s Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia returned home alive—days after her family had already held her funeral.
The woman, identified as Fatima Kassim, was officially reported dead while performing Hajj in Mecca. The news came with a death certificate issued by Ghana’s consulate in Saudi Arabia, confirming her passing. With that documentation, her family in Ghana proceeded to organize and perform her funeral rites in accordance with Islamic tradition.
But in an unexpected turn of events, Fatima walked back into her community on Wednesday, July 3, sending shockwaves through the neighbourhood. Some residents reportedly fled in fear, believing they were witnessing a ghost.
“This is Like a Wonder” – Family Reacts
During a visit to the family’s home by Citi News’ Umaru Sanda Amadu, Fatima’s relatives expressed a mix of joy, confusion, and disbelief.
“I feel happy and sad, because we are still confused about the situation. This is like a wonder,” one family member said.
Hajj Taskforce Admits Mistaken Identity
Reacting to the incident, Alhaji Amadu Sorogho, a member of the Ghana Hajj Taskforce, confirmed that the situation arose due to a case of mistaken identity.
“We have mistaken identity. The most important thing is that the lady is alive and everything is over,” he admitted.
Further clarifying the situation, Alhaji Iddi Sumaila, Director of Administration for the Hajj Taskforce, explained that two Ghanaian women were admitted to a hospital in Saudi Arabia around the same time. One was a registered pilgrim, and the other had entered the country on a tourist visa.
“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,” Sumaila said.
Community Grapples with Emotions and Questions
The incident has raised concerns about identification protocols and communication gaps within Ghana’s Hajj operations. While many residents are relieved and overjoyed at Fatima’s return, others remain disturbed by the confusion and the emotional turmoil her family endured.
The Hajj Taskforce has promised to review its procedures to prevent such a misidentification from happening in future pilgrimages.
