The Gombe State Police Command has reported that five people died and eight others injured when a truck coming from Yola to Gombe lost control and ran into some christian faithful on Easter procession to mark the the resurrection of Jesus in Billiri Town.
According to the police , preliminary investigation revealed that the truck had a break failure .
Gombe state Police Public Relations Officer(PPRO),DSP Buhari Abdullahi, in a statement, said,” the vehicle veered off the road and tragically ran into the crowd, including some Muslim residents who were observing the possession from the roadside.
“Police operatives from Billiri Division swiftly responded to the distress, providing immediate rescue efforts and conveying the injured victims to the nearest hospital for emergency medical attention.
“Regrettably, five persons including:two males and three females were confirmed dead by medical personnel, while eight others are currently receiving treatment and responding positively at the Federal Teaching Hospital Gombe and General Hospital Billiri”, he said.
According to the PPRO, in the aftermath of the incident, some aggrieved youths in the area set the vehicle ablaze, looted some shops and subsequently marched to the Billiri Divisional Police Headquarters.
“In an attempt to express their anger, the youths began to throw stones and other dangerous objects at the officers on duty.
“The DPO and other police personnel sustained varying degrees of injuries during the unrest.
“However, the driver has been rescued;eight suspects arrested for attacking and attempting to burn down the police Division. However,normalcy has been restored.
“The Command condemned the act of lawlessness; urged residents to remain calm and allow the law to take its course as investigation is currently ongoing to ascertain the full circumstances surrounding the incident.
“ Commissioner of Police, Gombe state, Bello Yahaya, commiserates with the families of the deceased and prayed for the quick recovery of the injured. He further assured the public that adequate security measures have been put in place in the area to forestall further breakdown of law and order.”