Olayiwola Matthew
Two people lost their lives while several others sustained injuries after a bus ploughed into worshippers observing Juma’at prayer in Damagum, headquarters of Fune Local Government Area in Yobe State.
The 18-seater Hummer bus was reportedly travelling from Damaturu, the state capital, to Azare in Bauchi State at the time of the incident.
The spokesperson for the Yobe State Police Command, Dungus Abdulkarim, said “preliminary investigations revealed two persons were killed while an unspecified number of worshippers, including minors, were injured and taken to General Hospital Damagum, while others with severe cases were referred to University Teaching Hospital in Damaturu.”
An eyewitness, Sabo Abubakar, stated that the vehicle was moving at high speed before crashing into worshippers who were praying beside the highway.
The Yobe Emergency Medical Ambulance Services confirmed the fatalities and disclosed that 27 injured victims are receiving treatment at Damagum General Hospital and the University Teaching Hospital in Damaturu.
Following the incident, some youths in the area staged a protest and set the bus on fire, despite efforts by police officers to control the situation.
It was further gathered that military personnel later intervened to restore calm, while the driver has been arrested and remains in custody.
