Tears flowed freely and a sombre mood enveloped Gombe State on Tuesday as the remains of seven journalists, who lost their lives in a ghastly auto-crash, were laid to rest.
The Bubayero Central Mosque at the Emir’s Palace in Gombe was filled to capacity as grieving families, distraught colleagues from the media fraternity, and top government officials gathered to pay their final respects to the departed professionals.
The tragedy is particularly heart-wrenching as the victims were returning from Kaltungo, where they had gone to celebrate with a colleague at a wedding ceremony.
The journey back turned fatal along the Billiri-Kumo Road, cutting short the lives of the seven media practitioners and leaving several others injured.
The funeral prayer was led by Imam Aliyu Hammari and was attended by the Emir of Gombe, His Royal Highness Alhaji Abubakar Shehu Abubakar III, and the State Governor, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya.
Governor Yahaya, who appeared visibly shaken during the prayers, described the demise of the journalists as a painful blow to the state.
He noted that the media industry had lost dedicated professionals who served the public with unwavering commitment.
Following the interment of the deceased, attention shifted to the survivors currently receiving critical care at the Federal Teaching Hospital (FTH), Gombe.
The Governor also visited the Accident and Emergency Unit, guided by the Chairman of the Hospital Advisory Committee, Dr. Bukar Lakube, and the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Habu Dahiru.
While expressing gratitude to God for sparing the survivors, the Governor announced that the Gombe State Government would take full responsibility for the medical bills of all injured victims.
He also pledged government assistance regarding the funeral expenses for the deceased.
“We must thank Almighty God for sparing their lives… Our most important duty now is to continue praying for their quick and complete recovery. For those who lost their lives, we will not relent in praying for the repose of their souls,” the Governor stated.
He was accompanied by his Deputy, Dr. Manassah Daniel Jatau; the Secretary to the State Government, Professor Ibrahim Abubakar Njodi; and other senior officials who joined in commiserating with the families and the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) over the tragic incident.