By KEMI KASUMU
The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has sent a condolence letter to the government and people of Sokoto State over bandits’ attack on pilgrims from Isa Local Government travelling to Sokoto for take-off to Saudi Arabia for the 2022 Hajj.
This was disclosed by Fatima Sanda Usara, the Assistant Director, Public Affairs, in the in a statement sent to The DEFENDER on Wednesday June 22, 2022.
The unfortunate incident, she said, occurred on Monday, June 20, 2022 where three security escorts lost their lives. All intending pilgrims on the convoy, however, escaped safely from the attempted kidnap.
In his letter to the Sokoto State Governor, Rt Hon Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, NAHCON’s Chairman, Alhaji Zikrullah Kunle Hassan, “joined the government in this moment of grief and prayed the Almighty to assist the federal and state governments in ending the bloodbath and all forms of atrocities being perpetrated in the country.”
Alhaji Hassan lamented the unfortunate situation and prayed for the repose of the souls of gallant men that sacrificed their lives in the incident while also praying for their families for the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.
Meanwhile, the NAHCON Chairman, in a postmortem meeting with Secretary of NAHCON’s Central Security Committee (CSC), has instructed the Committee to intensify collaboration between them and state governments, to safeguard pilgrims wherever they are in the country.
He also cautioned other states of the federation to reinforce security around pilgrims’ camps and their movements.
Alhaji Zikrullah Hassan reminded state chief executives that safety of the pilgrims and their escorts are their primary responsibilities consequently it should be taken with extra dedication.
The NAHCON’s helmsman pledged that the Commission is ever ready to support the states in any way possible in the discharge of this all important task.
