Gombe Christmas horror: Car rams into Christian procession, leaving 22 injured
Gombe CP, CP Hayatu Usman
Published By: Kazeem Ugbodaga
By Peter Uwumarogie
The Gombe State Police Command has confirmed that 22 people were injured after a vehicle rammed into a Christian procession in the Tumfure community, near Gombe, on Wednesday.
In a statement issued to newsmen, the command’s spokesperson, ASP Buhari Abdullahi, assured that no fatalities were reported in the incident, with the injured receiving treatment at the Federal Teaching Hospital (FTH) and Specialist Hospital in Gombe.
Abdullahi explained that the accident occurred around 2 pm when Christian faithful, participating in the procession and escorted by a team of police officers, were en-route to the Emir’s Palace and the Government House.
“Suddenly, a Sharon bus, loaded with bags of rice and driven by an unidentified individual, lost control and collided with the procession,” Abdullahi said, adding that 22 individuals sustained injuries, but there were no fatalities.
The vehicle was reportedly set on fire by an angry mob, while the driver fled the scene and is currently being sought by the police.
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Mr. Shamsuddeen Kachalla, leader of the procession and a member of the Boys’ Brigade in Gombe, told newsmen at the Specialist Hospital, where some of the injured were being treated, that efforts to flag down the vehicle had been unsuccessful.
“I’ve confirmed that 40 people were injured, with 12 at FTH and 28 here at the Specialist Hospital,” Kachalla stated, noting that this was the first time such an incident had occurred during the long-standing procession.
“I don’t know whether the driver lost control, but he deliberately chose to hit the people in the procession rather than avoid the vehicles ahead.”
A NAN correspondent visiting both hospitals confirmed that 40 people were indeed receiving treatment for their injuries.
Meanwhile, Governor Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State has expressed his condolences to the victims of the accident and urged calm among the youth. He conveyed his sympathies during a Christmas homage by the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Gombe State chapter at the Government House, Gombe.
Governor Yahaya also called for peaceful coexistence between Christian and Muslim communities in the state.
