Billiri Easter Tragedy: Police Should Provide us with names, pictures of injured Muslims – Group
Our correspondent
A group operating under the aegis of Gombe South Emancipation Forum (GSEF) has tasked the Police authorities in Gombe to provide the names and pictures of Muslims whom the Police claimed were injured during the Easter Day procession by the Christian community in Billiri LGA.
According to the group, the demand became necessary because the Gombe State Police Command’s statement on the incident added “a religious colouration to the situation.”
In a press release titled “Separating facts from fiction: What happened in Biliri on Monday, April 21, 2025,” the group said there were a lot of “lies, misinformation and disinformation” surrounding the incident that occurred on Easter Monday, signed by the group’s Lead Voice, Andele Tadi, Research Secretary, David Yohanna, and Publicity Secretary, Umar Ahmed.
The statement read in part: “We as a community are disappointed in the police command, as its account does not reflect the reality of what happened. We hereby point out the following misinformation and disinformation in the police report.
“First, the police say that the incident happened due to a brake failure. But eyewitness reports indicate otherwise.
“Also, isn’t it a mystery that this break did not fail at any of the several very steep slopes along Yola-Gombe Road but waited until it reached Billiri town, right behind Christian faithful who are exercising their constitutional right to assembly, and at an area that is not very sloppy before it finally fails? If there was a brake failure, why didn’t the driver honk his horn to alert everyone along his path?
“Second, the police say that “The vehicle veered off the road and tragically ran into the crowd.” This is false as the video shows. The driver drove straight into the group of people who were singing and dancing.
“Third, the Gombe State Police Command added a religious colouration to the situation when it writes that those affected included “Some Muslim residents who were observing from the roadside.” This is a lie.
“The Muslims in Billiri are our family members, friends, and neighbours, but to this day we have not yet heard of any single Muslim who was hurt or directly affected by the incident. We have a comprehensive list of all the people who were hurt at the scene and none of these people is a Muslim.
“We therefore demand that the police provide us with names and pictures of those Muslims who were injured. We want to visit them and help them. They are our relatives and neighbours, and Jesus teaches us to love our neighbours.
“Fourth, according to the police press release, only eight people were injured and are receiving treatment in the hospital. On the contrary, our team visited twenty people who are currently hospitalized in Gombe. We have their complete names and pictures.”
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