The 2023 Labour Party State Gubernatorial Candidate and Gombe State Chairman of the Middle Belt Forum Honourable Keftin Amuga, has condemned in strong term, the truck accident involving Christian faithfuls in Billiri Local Government Area while on Easter procession.
This was according to a press statement he signed and made available to newsmen on Monday.
Amuga said “I extend my heartfelt condolences to the family of those who lost their loved ones, who by biblical injunction are already in paradise with Jesus Christ our Lord. Let’s without ceasing continue to pray for the injured, even as by his stripes we received and declare their healings, in the mighty name of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Amen!
He however described the incident as calculated attack than accident.
“This deliberately planned attack which left five dead and 13 injured is about the third one, two of which were deadly. Essentially the attack was born out of pure hatred and intended to maximize deadly impact on Christian faithful’s of Gombe State”.
Amuga equally recalled similar incidents, while raising questions behind the motives.
“On 21 April 2019 an off-duty NSCDC officer rammed his car into Boys Brigade procession along Gombe-Biu Road killing 11 young boys, mostly under age-15, and injuring another 31 people.
On 25 December 2024, the driver of a Toyota Sharon, rammed into a crowd of Christmas celebrants close to Gombe-Bauchi Car Park, injuring 55 people but luckily there was no fatality. The police PRO explained that the driver lost control!
The third and most current one which occurred on the 21st April, 2025 killed over 5 persons and injuring scores of Christian youth during the Easter Monday celebration. Yet the Police PRO came up with another narrative that was uncalled for after a very shallow investigation into the incident.
The question is, why this recurring decimal? Ironically while investigation was supposed to be going on, some government security outfits are already announcing the conclusion of the investigation and the arrest of some Tangale youth for alleged vandalism at the scene of the suicide attack and insisting that the incidence was only a vehicular accident! This is very sad indeed”.
He accused the state government of being selective in treating Tangale People.
“Worst of all when the present situation of discrimination, persecution and maltreatment of the Tangale people, the Christians and the other indigenous ethnic nationalities is added to the spate of insecurity which is being selectively handled by the state Government, the oppressed peoples must began to seek for intervention elsewhere”.
He buttressed the call that citizens should start to defending themselves against emerging security threats.
“Accordingly I have no option than to support and call on the ethnic nationalities, the Christians and Tangale people in particular, that in their own interest they should comply immediately with the Clarion call made in May 2018 and repeated this April 2025 by our Elder Statesman, Gen. Theophilus Yakubu Danjuma, that all indigenous ethnic nationalities of the nation should stand up to defend themselves and their God given land, otherwise very soon, there may be no land and communities to call our own.
The 2023 LP gubernatorial candidate charged elected officials to stand up and discharge their assigned responsibilities as expected.
“Meanwhile I do hereby call on all the elected and appointed political representatives who have benefitted in one way or the other from the support and votes of the Tangale people, the Christian population and the indigenous ethnic nationalities of Gombe State, to as a matter of duty required by the Oath of their various offices, to prevail over Governor Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State to put an end to the discrimination, persecution and maltreatment against the Tangale people, the Christians and the indigenous ethnic nationalities of Gombe State and-;
a) Release without further delay all prisoners of conscience and politics, related to the Tangale Chieftaincy crisis and the recent Easter Monday Suicide Truck attack.
b) Institute without delay a “Truth and Reconciliation committee” to fence-up the deeply fractured population down the line along Tribal and religious cleavages”.