Suspected terrorists ambushed a motorcade of intending pilgrims from Isa Local Government in the state of Sokoto, allegedly killing three police officers.
Before being ambushed, the pilgrims were on their way to the state capital to be airlifted to the Holy Land for this year’s hajj.
According to sources in the area, the assailants waited for the vehicles transporting the intending pilgrims from Isa to Sultan Abubakar III International Airport in order to abduct them. However, the team of security professionals accompanying the prospective pilgrims was able to repel the assailants.
Several sources verified that the terrorists allowed the first vehicle carrying security people to go before opening fire.
According to reports, the security forces engaged the gunmen in a fire battle for several hours, preventing them from kidnapping any of the intending pilgrims; three of the cops reportedly died in the process.
It was also established that two of the trucks transporting the would-be pilgrims made it to the airport, while the third returned the pilgrims to their local government.
The Sokoto state government confirmed the tragedy and stated that the state’s Isa local government area pilgrims were rescued and unharmed.
The State government has not officially confirmed the death of the security officers, and attempts to contact the state Police command to confirm the report were fruitless because calls to the command’s public relations officer, DSP Abubakar Sanusi’s cell phone, were not returned.
According to the state Commissioner for Information, Isah Bajini Galadanchi, all of the intending pilgrims and their relatives who were accompanying them to the Sokoto Hajj camp, as well as the security personnel who were escorting them, were momentarily held up by suspected bandits operating on the corridor connecting the eastern part of the state to the capital, Sokoto.
Already, the troop has been met by government officials and preparations are being made for their trip to the Holy Land,” revealed Galadanci.
