A Sharon 7-seater mini-bus lost control and crashed into a procession of Christians on their way to the Government House and the Emir of Gombe’s Palace for the traditional Christmas homage on Wednesday.
Although no lives were lost at the scene, several people sustained injuries and were rushed to various hospitals for immediate medical attention.
An eyewitness reported that the Christians had just concluded Christmas services at their respective churches in Tunfure and had gathered to begin the procession, singing praises and drumming in high spirits.
The eyewitness, who narrowly escaped the crash, narrated that the vehicle unexpectedly plowed into the crowd from behind.
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Efforts to get an official statement from the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Gombe were unsuccessful, as the Public Education and Enlightenment Officer, Janet Kassa, could not be reached, nor did she respond to messages sent via WhatsApp and SMS at the time of this report.
However, the Gombe State Police Command confirmed the incident, stating: “Today, Wednesday, 25th December 2024, at about 1400hrs, Christian faithful from the Tunfure community, while on procession escorted by teams of policemen along Bauchi Road, were on their way to the Emir’s Palace and Government House.”
According to the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), ASP Buhari Abdullahi, “A Sharon vehicle loaded with bags of rice, with registration number yet to be identified and driven by an unknown individual, lost control and crashed into the procession, injuring at least 22 people. Thankfully, no lives were lost.”
He added, “The victims were evacuated to the Federal Teaching Hospital (FTH) for medical attention.”
ASP Buhari also disclosed that the vehicle was set ablaze by an angry mob, while the driver fled to an unknown location. Efforts are ongoing to locate and arrest the driver for further investigation.
Combined teams of police officers, led by the Deputy Commissioner of Operations, along with the leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in the state, are actively managing the situation to maintain calm.
The Gombe State Police Command urged residents to remain calm, as the Commissioner of Police, Hayatu Usman, has directed a thorough investigation into the unfortunate incident.
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