A Calculated Act Targeted at Christians, Not Brake Failure, Says Eyewitnesses in Gombe Truck Tragedy

By Emmanuel Kwada

The horror unfolded in an instant along Tashan Gona in Billiri, Gombe State, on Easter Monday, but for those who witnessed it, the memory is indelible.

Truck Which Rammed Into Easter Procession In Gombe State

A truck loaded with goods crashed into a group of Christian worshippers returning from a mountain prayer gathering, turning a beloved annual Easter procession into a scene of chaos and carnage.

The tragedy has left five people dead and many others injured, igniting a firestorm of grief, anger, and conflicting accounts. While Gombe State authorities have labeled it an accident due to brake failure, eyewitnesses insist it was a deliberate and sinister attack targeted at their faith.

This wasn’t an accident. It was a calculated act of intimidation against Christians

Yusuff Haskee, former Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (Youth Wing) in Gombe State, was among the first to speak out, his voice thick with emotion and defiance. “This wasn’t an accident. It was a calculated act of intimidation against Christians,” he declared.

“We’ve held this procession for years, always notifying security agencies ahead of time. So where were they when this happened?

People trapped under the truck

“This was no brake failure—I called out the police on a live radio program in Gombe yesterday because we deserve the truth.”

Usman, another eyewitness who stood mere feet from the carnage, shared a chilling recollection that bolstered Haskee’s claims.

“I was right there when it happened,” he said, his voice trembling with a mix of rage and sorrow. “If the driver lost control, why didn’t he honk?

That’s not an accident—it’s evil intent

“There was no warning—no sound, no signal. The truck came silently from behind and smashed into the people, then stopped just ten meters ahead, all on its own. That’s not an accident—it’s evil intent.” He confirmed that five people perished, including four women, with many others left in critical condition.

Madeline, a young woman who narrowly escaped death, recounted her brush with the tragedy through tears. “I had stepped aside to take a phone call,” she said.

“When I turned back, it was like a nightmare—screaming, bodies crushed under the truck. It rolled over my fellow worshippers like they were nothing. The sound of their cries haunts me.”

Her account highlighted the sudden brutality that shattered the joyous gathering, which had begun on Sunday evening and concluded after Monday’s service.

She was just praising God with her friends

Mama Billiri, a mother whose daughter was among the injured, stood outside the Gombe State Specialist Hospital, where victims were rushed for treatment, her voice breaking with anguish. “My daughter didn’t deserve this,” she said.

“She was just praising God with her friends. This is wickedness of the highest order. They want to scare us from worshipping, but we won’t stop.”

Another unnamed eyewitness added to the grim picture: “Many of those affected were youths and children. The scene was an eyesore—blood everywhere, bodies mangled. It’s something you can’t unsee.”

Some of the Victims

The articulated vehicle tore through the crowd, leaving reports of youths and children among the majority of victims, some crushed beyond recognition as the cries of the injured pierced the air.

The truck’s driver fled the scene and sought refuge at the Billiri police station, abandoning a trail of destruction. In the wake of the crash, furious youths took action. “We pulled the injured and the dead out from under it,” Usman recalled.

The police want us to believe this was just bad luck

“Then the boys set the truck on fire. The driver didn’t even try to help—he just ran. That tells you everything.” The blazing wreckage became a searing symbol of the community’s outrage as they grappled with their loss.

Meanwhile, Gombe State authorities, through spokesperson Samaila Uba Misili for Governor Inuwa Yahaya, have described the incident as a tragic accident, pointing to brake failure as the cause and pledging to cover medical costs for the over 20 injured victims currently being treated.

Yet, this official narrative has been met with fierce rejection from the community. A viral video of the incident, combined with mounting eyewitness testimonies, has amplified calls for an independent investigation. “The police want us to believe this was just bad luck,” Haskee said.

“But we know what we saw. This was meant to instill fear and disrupt our Easter observances. They can’t silence us with excuses.”

They can attack us, but they can’t take our faith

As the Christian community in Billiri mourns, their grief is matched by a steely resolve. The procession, a long-standing tradition, has taken on new meaning as a symbol of resilience. “We won’t let this stop us,” Madeline vowed, wiping tears from her eyes. “They can attack us, but they can’t take our faith.”

The charred remains of the truck stand as a haunting testament to the Easter Monday tragedy, while the voices of eyewitnesses—raw, resolute, and unyielding—demand justice.

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