A bridegroom and seven others yesterday died while six people sustained serious injuries in a road accident along Gombe -Yola federal highway while returning to their homes in Kumo, headquarters of Akko local government area of Gombe State after a wedding ceremony in Gombe.
Police Public Relations Officer of Gombe State Command ASP Ahmed Usman confirmed the incident and explained that he attended the funeral prayer of the deceased yesterday at the palace of the Emir of Akko.
The Police spokesman said the accident was a result of over-speeding and tyre burst of a pink colour Jeep with registration number QA 360 GME, driven by the deceased groom, Shua’ibu Mohammed, and that all seven other people inside the car died on the spot.
He gave the names of the others as AIshatu Musa, Jamila Adamu, AIshatu Hassan, Fatsuma Mohammed, Hauwa Musa and Mohammed Babangida.
In a telephone interview, an uncle of the bride, Umar Babuga said, “The bridegroom was the driver of the vehicle. He was returning some of the people that took the bride price to Gombe. After the wedding ceremony, he was conveying some of the people to Kumo when they had an accident.”
A BBC report had it that the accident happened when the groom who was driving the car lost control shortly before they entered Kumo and hit a roadside tree, resulting in the heavy casualty.
A relative of one of the victims, Malam Umaru Babuga said people in the town, including the bride had been devastated ever since the accident. The relative said, “There was a weeding and on their way back to Kumo from Gombe, an accident occurred. Seven people died instantly. Others in the car got injured. One died later. So, eight people have died in all. The groom was the driver. He, too, has died.”
He said the bride escaped death because she remained back home as the groom was driving back the people that went to Gombe. “She is alive,” he said.
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