Governor Yahaya, Emir, Others Attend Funeral Prayers For Gombe Journalists Who Died In Auto Crash

Gombe State governor, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, on Tuesday, led a state government delegation to the funeral prayers of some journalists who lost their lives in a tragic road crash on Monday.

The deceased were among journalists and other media workers involved in the fatal accident that occurred along the Billiri-Kumo Road in the State while they were returning from Kaltungo, where they had attended the wedding ceremony of a colleague.

The funeral prayers, held at the Bubayero Central Mosque, Emir’s Palace, Gombe, led by Imam Aliyu Hammari and attracted a large turnout of sympathisers, including grieving family members, colleagues from the media industry and top government officials.

Among those in attendance was the Emir of Gombe, His Royal Highness, Alhaji Abubakar Shehu Abubakar III.

A visibly saddened Governor Yahaya described the demise of the seven journalists as a painful loss to Gombe State and the media profession, noting that the state had lost dedicated professionals who served with commitment.

After the funeral prayers, the governor proceeded to the Federal Teaching Hospital (FTH), Gombe, to personally assess the condition of the survivors who are currently receiving medical attention.

Speaking to journalists after the visit, Governor Yahaya expressed gratitude to God for sparing the lives of the survivors, while praying for their speedy recovery.

“We must thank Almighty God for sparing their lives, not because they are better than those who passed on, but because it was destined so. 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, in view of the enormous contributions they made to journalism and public service,” the governor said.

He extended the state government’s heartfelt condolences to the families of the deceased, their respective organisations and the entire media fraternity, urging them to accept the tragic loss as an act of God.

Governor Yahaya also announced that the Gombe State Government has taken over the full medical bills of all the injured victims, assuring that the government would provide every necessary support to aid their recovery.

“As a government, we will do everything within our means to support the victims and their families in this difficult time,” he assured.

During the visit to the Accident and Emergency Unit, the governor was conducted round the ward by the chairman of the Hospital Advisory Committee, Dr. Bukar Lakube, and the State’s Commissioner for Health, Dr. Habu Dahiru, to assess the condition of the patients. He also extended financial support to other patients in the unit, to help cushion burden on them and their families.

The governor was accompanied on the visit by his deputy, Dr. Manassah Daniel Jatau; the Secretary to the State Government, Professor Ibrahim Abubakar Njodi; Commissioners, and other senior government officials.