Six Mobile Police officers were killed during the attack on a convoy of the Sokoto intending pilgrims, it was revealed.
The police were part of the convoy of intending pilgrims from Isa local government area of the state coming to Sokoto metropolis for screening and eventual airlift to the Saudi Arabia pilgrimage.
21st CENTURY CHRONICLE reported how the convoy of the intending pilgrims was attacked by the bandits along Gundumi forest, but the well armed mobile police who were part of the convoy repelled the attack.
The sources said all the pilgrims were rescued and taken to the palace of the district head of Isa.
However, our correspondent gathered that bodies of the slain policemen were deposited in the morgue of an undisclosed hospital in Sokoto metropolis.
When contacted, the spokesperson of the Sokoto Police Command, ASP Ahmad Rufa’i, promised to get back to our reporter with full details of the incident which was not done as at the time of filing this report.
However, our reporter learnt that the intending pilgrims were currently in the state capital in preparation of their journey to the holy land.
While confirming the attack, the Commissioner of Information, Isa Bajini Galadanchi, said the pilgrims were rescued unscathed.
Mr Galadanchi said, “All of the intending pilgrims, their relatives who were accompanying them to Sokoto Hajj camp and the security men escorting them, who were momentarily held up by suspected bandits operating on the corridor linking the eastern part of the state, arrived safely in Sokoto, the capital city.”
