Seven members of the Nigeria Union of Journalists have died in a fatal road accident involving an NUJ bus in Gombe State.
The Federal Road Safety Corps confirmed that the crash happened on Monday evening as the journalists were returning from a wedding ceremony in the Gombe South Senatorial District.
The victims were part of a delegation that travelled to celebrate the wedding of a colleague who works with the Nigerian Television Authority.
Confirming the incident in a telephone interview, the Gombe State Sector Commander of the FRSC, Samson Kaura, said 11 persons were involved in the crash.
“From the information available to us, 11 people were involved in the crash. Sadly, seven of them died on the spot, while four others sustained varying degrees of injuries,” Kaura said.
He explained that early findings suggested the accident was a lone crash, with a tyre burst suspected as the cause.
“It is a lone accident, and from what we have gathered so far, it is very fatal. Although investigations are still ongoing, I suspect it may have been a tyre burst. Perhaps the driver applied the brakes suddenly, which caused the vehicle to somersault,” he stated.
Kaura said FRSC rescue teams were immediately mobilised to the scene and were still carrying out rescue and recovery operations at the time of reporting.
“Our officers are still on the ground carrying out rescue operations. We have not concluded the full assessment yet, but a comprehensive report will be released after the operation is completed,” he said.
He added that the injured journalists were taken to nearby hospitals for treatment, while investigations would continue to establish the exact cause of the crash.
The tragic incident has thrown the journalism community in Gombe and beyond into mourning, coming just hours after what was meant to be a moment of celebration for one of their colleagues.
