At least 20 people, mostly children and youths, lost their lives in a tragic road accident that occurred on Easter Monday in Billiri, the headquarters of Billiri Local Government Area in Gombe State.
The incident took place around 8:00 am as Christian worshippers were returning from a mountain where they had gathered to symbolise the meeting of Jesus Christ in Galilee, a day after His resurrection.
According to eyewitness accounts, a truck loaded with grains and heading towards Gombe rammed into the worshippers while they were descending the mountain, crushing many to death and injuring several others.
Numerous victims sustained various degrees of injuries and are currently receiving treatment at medical facilities in Billiri.
In a tense aftermath, angry youths reportedly set the truck ablaze and stormed the Divisional Police Headquarters, demanding the release of the truck driver, who was believed to be in custody.
A combined team of police, military, and other security agencies was swiftly deployed to the area to contain the situation and prevent further escalation.
The Gombe State Commands of the Nigeria Police and the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) confirmed the occurrence of the crash but declined to provide further details, stating that an official statement would be released soon.
