Black Easter Sunday: 11 killed in road accident in Gombe

11 Christian faithful have been reportedly killed in a road accident on Sunday in Gombe state, the victims were Christian youths on Easter Sunday procession when a car ran into them, an eye witness said.

According to Dr Shuaibu Muazu, the Chief Medical Director, Specialist Hospital, Gombe, “eight bodies were brought in dead to the facility around 1 a.m. and later three others were brought in”. Muazu said the corpses had been deposited at the hospital mortuary, while the injured were receiving treatment at the facility.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports had it that, some of the injured were referred to Federal Teaching Hospital, Gombe, and some private hospitals for treatment. According to eyewitnesses, the car was being driven by a member of Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps NSCDC.

Another witness who pleaded anonymity said the processing youths were members of Boys’ Brigade of ECWA Church, Bamusa, Barunde, Madaki, and St Peter’s Anglican Church. The witness said the youths were at Alheri Junction when the car with registration No. AS 385 GME, ran into them from the rear.

The witness said some angry youth attacked the driver who was later identified through his identity card as ASC Adamu Abubakar, he added that the identity of other occupants of the vehicle was not known.

Mr Isaac Kwadam, an official of Boys Brigade, Gombe Batallion, said he received information that an NSCDC personnel driving a Honda car had an altercation with the youth. Kwadam said he learnt the NSCDC member later switched off his car light and drove into the procession from behind. He said after the incident, the youth chased the driver, caught up with him and mobbed him and the other occupant, suspected to be a policeman, the reports said.

The reports continued, Dr Godwin Omiko, Sector Commander, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Gombe State, confirmed the incident. Omiko said initial information suggested that the youth were attacked while they were conducting their Easter procession and so he immediately alerted the relevant personnel. He said it was when FRSC personnel got to the scene they confirmed it was a crash and thereafter began rescue operations.

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