Seven intending Zamfara state Pilgrims have been arrested by operatives of the Department Of State Services (DSS) at Sir Abubakar International Airport in Sokoto. Solacebase can reliably report.
The intending pilgrims were on their way to Saudi Arabia to perform this year Hajj exercise, according to some eyewitnesses after undergoing screening on Saturday night waiting to board the aircraft when the DSS operatives whisked them away.
An eyewitness Ibrahim Baba Tsafe, said they were informed that the arrested suspects were said to have been involved in Cattle rustling , Kidnappings and others vices in Zamfara.
“ We learnt that the security agents have been on their trail for sometime as they said some arrested suspects fingered them in the serial killings, Cattle rustling and kidnappings in Zamfara state, “said the eyewitness.
When Solacebase contacted the Executive Secretary, Zamfara state Pilgrims Welfare Board Alhaji Abubakar Serki Fawa said though he is not aware of the situation but the aircraft was scheduled to airlift 560 intending pilgrims to the holy land yesterday night but the plane left without seven pilgrims.
“Honestly I am not aware of this though seven intending pilgrims could not board the flight that was supposed to take off with 560 pilgrims”.
However a security personnel at the airport confirmed to Solacebase that the seven intending pilgrims, all male were taken away in a white window tinted bus just some few minutes to boarding the plane by DSS operatives which left those present at the scene in surprise.
According to the Airport security personnel, those arrested did not resisted and they seem to know themselves as they were chatting and interacting before the operatives came to whisk them away.
Solacebase could not get the reaction of on those arrest from the DSS in Sokoto as the organization does not have a Spokesman and neither can the state Director be accessed.
