FRSC confirms death of Seven NUJ members in Gombe road accident

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has confirmed that seven members of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) lost their lives, while four others sustained injuries in a lone fatal road accident involving an NUJ bus in Gombe State.

The tragic crash occurred on Monday evening as the journalists were returning from a wedding ceremony in the Gombe South Senatorial District.

The victims were part of an NUJ delegation that had travelled to celebrate one of their colleagues, a staff member of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), who had just concluded his wedding ceremony.

Confirming the incident in a telephone interview, the Gombe State Sector Commander of the FRSC, Samson Kaura, disclosed that a total of 11 persons were involved in the accident.

“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 the crash was a lone accident, adding that preliminary findings suggested it may have been caused by a tyre burst.

“It is a lone accident and very fatal. Although investigations are still ongoing, I suspect it could be a tyre burst. Possibly the driver applied the brakes suddenly, which caused the vehicle to somersault,” he stated.

Kaura said FRSC rescue teams were promptly deployed to the scene and were still conducting rescue and recovery operations as of the time of the interview.

“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 added.

He further confirmed that the injured journalists had been taken to nearby health facilities for medical attention, while the FRSC continues investigations to determine the exact cause of the crash.

The incident has thrown the journalism community into mourning, coming barely hours after the Nigeria Union of Journalists announced the loss of its members in the tragic accident.