A series of attacks on Christian faithful in Gombe State has sparked widespread concern, with Hon. Keftin Amuga, the 2023 Labour Party state gubernatorial candidate and Gombe State Chairman of the Middle Belt Forum, condemning the incidents in a press statement.
On April 21, 2025, a truck driven by Usman Muhammad rammed into a Christian procession in Billiri LGA, killing five people and injuring 13 persons. This incident is the third of its kind, following similar attacks in 2019 and December 2024.
Amuga questioned the recurring nature of these incidents, criticising the police’s handling of investigations and expressing concerns about alleged discrimination against the Tangale people and Christians in the state.
The statement called on the government to take concrete actions to address the situation, including releasing prisoners of conscience and recognising Dr Musa Idris as the legitimate Mai (Chief) of Tangale.
Amuga also supported the clarion call made by Gen. Theophilus Yakubu Danjuma for communities to defend themselves, citing the need for intervention to protect the rights and interests of the indigenous ethnic nationalities in Gombe State.
The statement partly read, “I hereby condemn in the strongest term possible, the barbaric, wicked, and inhumane Easter Monday Suicide Truck attack on the Christian faithful of Billiri LGA in Gombe State. This deliberately planned attack which left five dead and 13 injured is about the third one, two of which were deadly.”
PERISCOPE NIGERIA reports that Amuga’s statement opines the need for urgent action to address the growing concerns about security and discrimination in Gombe State.
FULL-TEXT: PRESS STATEMENT ON THE EASTER MONDAY DEADLY TRUCK SUICIDE ATTACK ON THE CHRISTIAN FAITHFULS IN BILLIRI LGA OF GOMBE STATE, WHILE IN THE CELEBRATION PROCESSION,ON THE 21st APRIL,2025;BY HONOURABLE KEFTIN AMUGA, THE 2023 LABOUR PARTY STATE GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE AND THE GOMBE STATE CHAIRMAN OF THE MIDDLE BELT FORUM.
I hereby condemn in the strongest term possible, the barbaric, wicked and inhumane Easter Monday Suicide Truck attack, on the Christians faithful of Billiri LGA in Gombe State. I extend my heartfelt condolences to the family of those who lost their love ones, who by biblical injunction are already in paradise with Jesus Christ our Lord. Let’s without ceasing continue to pray for the injured, even as by his stripes we received and declare their healings, in the mighty name of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Amen!
This deliberately planned attack which left five (5) dead and 13 injured is about the third one, two of which were deadly. Essentially the attack was born out of pure hatred and intended to maximize deadly impact on Christian faithful’s of Gombe State.
2) On 21 April 2019 an off-duty NSCDC officer rammed his car into Boys Brigade procession along Gombe-Biu Road killing 11 young boys, mostly under age-15, and injuring another 31 people.
On 25 December 2024, the driver of a Toyota Sharon, rammed into a crowd of Christmas celebrants close to Gombe-Bauchi Car Park, injuring 55 people but luckily there was no fatality. The police PRO explained that the driver lost control!
3) The third and most current one which occurred on the 21st April, 2025 by another fanatic named Usman Muhammad aged 28, a resident of Afghanistan Quarters (a name synonymous with the hometown of the Late Taliban leader Osama Bin Laden) killed over 5 persons and injuring scores of Christian youth during the Easter Monday celebration. Yet the Police PRO came up with another narrative that was uncalled for after a very shallow investigation into the incident. The question is, why this recurring decimal? Ironically while investigation was supposed to be going on, some government security outfits are already announcing the conclusion of the investigation and the arrest of some Tangale youth for alleged vandalism at the scene of the suicide attack and insisting that the incidence was only a vehicular accident! This is very sad indeed.
4) When one recalls the unprovoked incident, with the state Government, following the aftermath of the Tangale Chieftaincy crisis in 2021, whereby the Tangale people were denied the choice of Dr. Musa Idris as the Mai (Chief) Tangle, because he is a Christian and further arrested some youth, some of whom have died in prison and others are rendered useless due various illnesses while still in prison, one begins to wonder, which of the law is in use in Gombe State, the Nigerian constitution or the Sharia Law ?
Worst of all when the present situation of discrimination, persecution and maltreatment of the Tangale people, the Christians and the other indigenous ethnic nationalities is added to the spate of insecurity which is being selectively handled by the state Government, the oppressed peoples must began to seek for intervention elsewhere.
5) Accordingly I have no option than to support and call on the ethnic nationalities, the Christians and Tangale people in particular, that in their own interest they should comply immediately with the Clarion call made in May 2018 and repeated this April 2025 by our Elder Statesman ,Gen. Theophilus Yakubu Danjuma, that all indigenous ethnic nationalities of the nation should stand up to defend themselves and their God given land, otherwise very soon, there may be no land and communities to call our own.
6) Meanwhile I do hereby call on all the elected and appointed political representatives who have benefitted in one way or the other from the support and votes of the Tangale people, the Christian population and the indigenous ethnic nationalities of Gombe State, to as a matter of duty required by the Oath of their various offices, to prevail over Governor Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State to put an end to the discrimination, persecution and maltreatment against the Tangale people, the Christians and the indigenous ethnic nationalities of Gombe State and-;
a) Release without further delay all prisoners of conscience and politics, related to the Tangale Chieftaincy crisis and the recent Easter Monday Suicide Truck attack.
b) Recognize Dr. Musa Idris, as recommended by the Tangale Traditional Council, as the legitimate Choice for the stool of the (MAI) Chief of Tangale, thereby rendering unnecessary the present court case.
c) Institute without delay a “Truth and Reconciliation committee” to fence -up the deeply fractured population down the line along Tribal and religious cleavages.
Long live Gombe State,
Long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria.!
Signed:
Hon. Keftin E. Amuga
2023 Labour Party Gombe State Gubernatorial Candidate and State Chairman of the Middle Belt Forum.
