The Police Command in Gombe State has confirmed a fatal accident in the Billiri Local Government Area, which claimed multiple lives during the Easter celebration.
Confirming the development, the Police Public Relations Officer, Abdullahi Buhari, stated that five persons were confirmed dead and several others injured.
“We recorded an accident at Billiri Local Government after a truck conveying goods from parts of Taraba lost control in Billiri. Five persons have been confirmed dead, while others who are injured are undergoing treatment at different hospitals,” he told newsmen.
Newsmen had earlier reported that an unspecified number of people were killed in Gombe State after an articulated vehicle loaded with goods ploughed into a procession of Easter celebrants.
The tragic incident occurred on Monday along Tashan Gona in Billiri, as the group was returning from a mountain prayer gathering.
According to eyewitnesses, several persons were killed on the spot, with some reportedly crushed beyond recognition. Several others sustained varying degrees of injuries.
It was gathered that the truck was set ablaze by irate youths after the driver fled the scene and took refuge at the police station in Billiri. Most of the victims were said to be children and youths who had participated in the prayer gathering.
“Many of those affected are youths and children. The scene is an eyesore; some of the victims died on the spot, and others were rushed to the hospital. The driver managed to escape into the Billiri police station,” an eyewitness told newsmen.
