The state of Gombe has been plunged into another wave of mourning following a fatal road accident that claimed the lives of six staff members of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), Gombe station. The tragic incident occurred on Monday, 29 December 2025, deepening the sorrow in a state still reeling from a previous crash that killed seven persons just days earlier.
Details of the Fatal Accident
The journalists lost their lives in a devastating crash along the Billiri–Kumo Road. They were returning from the wedding ceremony of a colleague held in the Billiri Local Government Area of Gombe State. The news was first broken by the National President of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Alhassan Yahya, an indigene of the state, who posted on his Facebook page: “Six journalists died in a car crash, another sad day for the journalism profession in Gombe State.”
Victims and Survivors of the Crash
A staff member of the television station confirmed the identities of the deceased. Those who died in the crash include:
- Manu Haruna Kwami – Manager, Administration
- Zarah Umar – Manager, News
- Isa – an Editor
- Musa Tabra – a retired Manager, News
- Aminu – a driver
- Adams – manager of the station’s Startimes operations
Several other colleagues sustained varying degrees of injury and are receiving medical attention. The injured were identified as:
- Emmanuel Akila, the station’s Government House Correspondent
- Steven Doddo
- Nina
- Jonathan Bara
They are currently receiving treatment at different health facilities within Gombe State.
Shockwaves and Safety Concerns
This incident has sent profound shockwaves across the media community in Gombe State. It comes amid renewed and urgent concerns over the safety of road travel in the region, following the earlier accident that killed seven natives of Lawanti village in Akko LGA while they were travelling to a wedding in Borno State. The consecutive tragedies have highlighted critical questions about road safety and infrastructure, leaving the state's tight-knit professional and social circles in deep grief.
