Following the tragedy that accompanied the somber Easter celebration on Monday when a trailer transporting goods rammed into a group of worshippers during a procession along the Gombe–Yola Federal Highway in the Billiri Local Government Area of the state, and the outcry of Christians who described it as a terror attack, the Governor, Inuwa Yahaya, has ordered a full-scale investigation into the incident.
Spokesperson for Governor Inuwa, Samaila Uba Misili,, who made this decision public also announced that the government would cover all medical expenses for the 20 injured victims.
According to the police the Easter Monday tragedy in Gombe State which killed five worshippers (two males and three females) and injured several others, the incident was only a tragic accident
While authorities have described the incident as a tragic accident, residents and witnesses allege it was a deliberate attack meant to instill fear and disrupt future Easter observances.
Residents, Eyewitnesses and Christians on their accounts said the veering off by the truck transporting goods off as shown in a video of the incident that went viral and more testimonies, indicate that the suspicions about the true nature of the event could be true.
For Yusuff Haskee, a former Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (Youth Wing) in Gombe State, the incident was anything but accidental.
“This is a long-standing tradition that begins on Sunday evening and concludes after Monday service.
“We always inform security agencies well in advance. So, where were they when this happened?
“This wasn’t a brake failure — it was a calculated act of intimidation against Christians. I even called out the police publicly during a live radio programme in Gombe yesterday,” Haskee noted.
The trailer involved in the crash was set ablaze by an angry crowd, who also demanded the release of the driver from police custody.
However, Governor Yahaya, in a statement issued Monday, after the situation was brought under control by the Police, expressed deep sympathy to the families of the victims and the Christian community in Billiri, pledging that the state government would ensure justice is served.
“This is a dark and painful moment for the families affected and for all of us as a people. On behalf of the government and people of Gombe State, I extend my heartfelt condolences to the families of those who lost their lives and pray for the swift and full recovery of those currently receiving treatment.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the entire Christian community in Billiri and beyond, as well as with all those affected by this tragedy.
“As a government, we are committed to ensuring that the victims receive the best possible medical care. We will come out of this tragedy more united,” the Governor assured.
He vowed to ensure that those found culpable would face the full weight of the law.
Recall, In December 2024, a Sharon vehicle plowed into a Christmas procession, resulting in fatalities and in 2019, members of the Boys Brigade were killed after being struck by a vehicle during an Easter march.
