Attah Willies, Gombe
Tangle Community indigenes, at home and abroad, have described the Police statement on the Easter procession tragedy that claimed the lives of five persons and injured many as a reckless and blatant lie aimed at creating acrimony between the people of Billiri Local Government Area of Gombe State.
A trailer loaded with goods had rammed into the procession of Christian youths who were celebrating the Easter festival on Monday morning on the Gombe-Yola highway in Billiri town of Gombe State.
The Gombe State Police Command in a statement Monday afternoon had attributed the accident to brake failure on the trailer which it added, veered off the road killing and injuring many.
According to the Gombe PPRO, Buhari Abdullahi, the trailer ran into the crowd, including some Muslim residents who were observing the procession from the roadside.
But, addressing a joint Press Conference on the Easter tragedy, the Tangale Community Development Association (TCDA), Kwagam Tangale Socio-Cultural Association (KTSCA) and Tangale Community Overseas (TCO), expressed dissatisfaction with the reasons given by the Police as the cause of the accident.
Comrade Danladi Bako, TCDA President, who read the statement, alleged that the culpability of the Police in the incident must be addressed, stressing that it was necessary to debunk the widespread misinformation and disinformation by the Nigeria Police on the Easter tragedy, and set the record straight.
Comrade Bako, a former Gombe NLC Chairman, told Journalists that, at the end of the briefing, “we will provide you with pictures, videos, victims and eyewitnesses so you can review, interview and independently come to a conclusion on what transpired.”
While acknowledging the Gombe State Government’s offer to help pay the hospital bills and the costs of the funerals of the victims, it decried the dilapidated state of the General Hospital in Billiri LGA which should have brought reprieve to the victims rather than travelling all the way to Gombe town for medical attention at the Federal Teaching Hospital and the Gombe State Specialist Hospital.
While describing the the Police statement as laughable, the community revealed that video evidence contradicts the Police statement stressing, “We hereby submit that their bias against the victims is clear. First, the statement insinuated that the truck veered off the road due to a brake failure.
“On the contrary, video evidence shows otherwise. The vehicle drove straight into the unsuspecting celebrants from behind them. The driver was inside the truck, the driver did not tap on his horn to draw attention, and the vehicle came to a complete stop on the main road after mauling the victims.
“The statement by the Police that the vehicle tragically ran into the crowd, including some Muslim residents who were observing from the roadside, is also a blatant lie aimed at creating acrimony between Christians and Muslims.
“No Muslim was affected in this incident. The vehicle ran into the people on procession. There are pictures and videos that show what actually happened.
“Questions regarding the culpability of the police must be addressed. The Easter Monday Procession is an annual event in Billiri town; despite that fact, each year the police division in Billiri is notified about the event.
“This year was not different. So, we ask, where were the police officers on traffic watch? Why did the police at the State and zonal levels repeat the same statement about mechanical/brake failure before conducting any investigation?
“How did the police know it had anything to do with brakes? If the police want to explore, we will provide video evidence which counter their position (some videos have already gone viral on social media). Please, stop treating us as fools”, it cautioned.
It therefore called on the Gombe State Police Command to immediately retract its statement, while calling on the Federal Government to consider installation of speed breakers on the Gombe-Yola highway (in Billiri town). The community also urged that those arrested in connection with the reaction to the tragedy be released with immediate effect, while ongoing arrests must be stopped forthwith.
