Seven members of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), including staff of the Nigeria Television Authority (NTA), were killed on Monday in a fatal road accident in Gombe State.
The victims were travelling back to Gombe from Yola, Adamawa State, where they had attended a wedding ceremony, when the NUJ bus conveying them reportedly suffered a burst tyre around Kumo in Akko Local Government Area.
Eyewitness accounts indicated that the burst tyre caused the vehicle to lose control, veer off the road and collide with other vehicles, resulting in multiple fatalities at the scene.
Those confirmed dead include Manu Haruna Kwami, Manager (Administration); Zarah Umar, Manager (News); Isa, Editor; and Musa Tabra, a retired Manager (News). Others were Judith, an Information Officer with the Gombe State Universal Basic Education Board; the driver of the bus, Aminu; and Adams, a staff member of StarTimes.
Four other passengers — Emmanuel Akila, Steven Doddo, Nina and Jonathan Bara — sustained varying degrees of injuries and are currently receiving treatment at a hospital in Gombe.
The bodies of the deceased have been deposited at a morgue in the state, as colleagues, families and the media community mourn the tragic loss.
The incident has once again raised concerns about road safety, long-distance travel, and the risks faced by journalists and media professionals while on assignment or official duties.
Armstrong Bakam
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