No fewer than eleven persons including a policeman
and an NSCDC officer were confirmed dead after a car rammed into a procession
of Christian youths (mostly Boys Brigade members) who were on an Easter rally last
Sunday night in Gombe town, Gombe State.
This is coming as the leadership of the Christian
Association (CAN) in the North-east region appealed to Christians in the state
to remain calm following the killing of nine Boys Brigade (BB) members by an
NSCDC officer at an Easter procession last Sunday night.
Media checks revealed that the youths were on
their usual Easter rally in celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ when
the unidentified NSCDC and his police friend came across them during the
procession at Alheri junction at Biu Road, Gombe.
The state Deputy Governor, Charles Iliya, who was
accompanied by the state CAN Chairman, Reverend Ibrahim Joda, as well as the
North-east CAN chairman, Reverend Abare Kalla, also appealed for calm as he
assured them that the state government would not allow the unfortunate incident
to go untreated.
Addressing parents and other mourners who thronged
the state Specialist Hospital where the dead were deposited at the mortuary and
the injured receiving treatment, Iliya also said the state government would
foot the hospital bills of all those receiving treatment.
The deputy governor, who spoke amid boos and jeers
from the angry youths, said he was pained too, and that the state government
was not behind the unfortunate incident, stressing that “we have spoken to the
security authorities and they have assured us that action will be taken
soon."
Earlier, while going round with the deputy governor,
the state CAN Chairman, Joda, appealed for calm among the Christian faithful
and described the incident as a very sad moment for Christians in this period
of Easter when they were supposed to be celebrating the resurrection of the
risen Lord. He also offered prayers for healing of the injured and for the
repose of the souls of the dead.
Also speaking in an interview with journalists, the
North-east Chairman of CAN, Kalla, said though it was painful, he said calm and
caution must be exercised now.
Apprehension
and palpable tension had engulfed the Gombe State capital Monday morning when
news broke out on the alleged killing of 11 Boys Brigade (BB) members by an
NSCDC officer and his police friend last Sunday night when the youths were
observing their usual Easter procession.
Investigation by our correspondent revealed that the
officers, after exchanging words with the youths during the procession, used a
different lane and left, only to turn back with the headlight of the vehicle
switched off and deliberately rammed into the youths from behind killing eight
persons on the spot. The youths in turn, chased the security officers who were
not on duty, caught them and applied jungle justice to the security officers.
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