The Gombe State Police Command on Wednesday debunked reports alleging that a motorcycle operator lost his life during the enforcement of the ban on overloading also known as ‘three-in-one’.
Our correspondent reports that three-in-one practice allows the rider known as ‘mai achada’ to carry two or more passengers owing to high transportation fare or unavailability of conveyance.
Reacting to the allegation, the Police Public Relations Officer of the Command, DSP Buhari Abdullahi, explained that the incident occurred in the early hours at the Union Roundabout while police officers were carrying out routine enforcement of the traffic regulation.
“There was an incident that occurred this morning when our officers were enforcing overloading or three-in-one.
“As you know, the people of this state are already aware of the enforcement exercise,” he said.
He stated that the situation escalated when one of the motorcycle riders refused to comply with lawful instructions from the officers.
“One of the riders refused to stop when police officers attempted to stop him around the Union Roundabout,” he said. “This led to a minor accident.”
DSP Abdullahi firmly dismissed claims circulating on social media that the incident resulted in a fatality, stressing that no life was lost.
“Let me make it very clear that nobody died. Normalcy has been fully restored in the area,” he said.
He added that such incidents are not unusual during enforcement operations, noting that resistance from some road users sometimes leads to avoidable accidents.
“It is normal that during enforcement, some individuals may refuse to stop at checkpoints, and this sometimes leads to minor accidents,” the police spokesperson explained. “However, in this case, nobody died.”
DSP Abdullahi urged members of the public to disregard unverified information and cooperate with law enforcement officers, emphasizing that the enforcement exercise is aimed at ensuring road safety and protecting lives.
