Bandits have opened fire on vehicles conveying intending pilgrims in Sokoto state on Monday.
The incident happened on Monday while the intending pilgrims were on their way to the airport for an eventual airlift to Saudi Arabia on Tuesday for hajj pilgrimage.
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Sources revealed that some of the bandits were also wounded during the gun duel with security agents escorting the pilgrims.
The bandits were said to have ambushed the pilgrims along Gundumi forest but the attack was foiled by the well armed mobile police who were part of the convoy.
The sources said all the pilgrims were rescued and taken to the palace of the district head of Isa.
All our efforts to interview the affected pilgrims proved abortive but the Permanent Secretary of the Sokoto State Pilgrims Welfare Board, Shehu Dange, confirmed the attack.
Mr Dange said that they were still waiting for more information about the attack.
He said, “We want to know about the condition of the pilgrims, are they all rescued and is there any one of them injured during the attack,” he said.
However, the spokesperson of the Sokoto police command, DSP Sanusi Abubakar, said he was not aware of the attack because he had been outside the state.
