Residents of the Madina UN area in Accra were left stunned and bewildered after a woman who had been declared dead during the 2024 Hajj pilgrimage unexpectedly returned home alive — just days after her family had held a funeral for her.
Fatima Kassim was believed to have died in Saudi Arabia, with Ghana’s consulate issuing an official death certificate confirming the report. Following the announcement, her grieving family conducted her funeral rites in accordance with Islamic customs.
However, in a shocking turn of events, Fatima returned to her neighborhood on Wednesday, July 3. Her unexpected arrival sent shockwaves through the community, with some residents reportedly fleeing in fear, mistaking her for a ghost, according to a report by CitiNewsroom.com.
In an interview at the family house in Madina, Fatima’s relatives expressed a mix of emotions — 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 remarked.
Alhaji Amadu Sorogho, a member of the Hajj Taskforce, admitted there had been a case of mistaken identity.
“We had a case of mistaken identity. The most important thing is that the lady is alive and everything is now resolved,” he said.
Further clarifying the incident, the Director of Administration of the Hajj Taskforce, Alhaji Iddi Sumaila, explained that two women had been receiving treatment at a hospital in Saudi Arabia — one on a tourist visa and the other formally registered with the Ghanaian Hajj delegation.
“There were two patients there. One had a tourist visa and the other traveled with us through the Hajj delegation, but at the time, their passports were not with them. We mistakenly identified the one with the tourist visa as the Hajj pilgrim. Usually, in such cases, the embassy takes charge, so they issued the death certificate. We assumed one had passed and the other was on admission, but unfortunately, we got them mixed up,” he explained.
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