A devastating road accident in Gombe metropolis claimed the lives of five siblings from the same family after a water tanker ran over their commercial tricycle near Kanady Academy along APC Square in the Government Reserved Area. The tragedy unfolded on a Tuesday morning when the children were heading to school, leaving their father, Mansur Muhammad, with an unbearable loss just minutes after a cheerful farewell at home.
What are the key facts surrounding the Gombe tragedy?
The fatal crash occurred on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, roughly forty minutes after the children left their residence. The deceased pupils were identified as Maryam Mansir Adamu and Usman Mansir Adamu from Jekadafari Primary School, Hauwau Mansir Adamu from Government Junior Secondary School Jekadafari, Aliyu Mansir Adamu from Government Day Secondary School Ahmadu Gombe, and Fatima Mansir Adamu. Three other individuals, including a surviving sibling, sustained injuries and received medical attention at the Federal Teaching Hospital in Gombe.
Recounting the incident, the bereaved father explained that he was unwell with a fever that morning, prompting his junior wife to arrange the commercial transport. He recalled how the children repeatedly returned to bid him farewell and ask for his prayers. In a poignant final exchange, young Usman asked for money to buy a pen, unaware it would be their last interaction. Upon receiving emergency phone calls, Muhammad rushed to the hospital, where he eventually discovered the lifeless bodies of five of his children laid out in the mortuary.
How have authorities and community leaders responded?
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) Gombe State Sector Command, led by Sector Commander Samson Kaura, confirmed that personnel deployed to the scene and visited the medical facilities to ascertain casualty figures. Meanwhile, Gombe State Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya expressed deep sorrow over the incident, describing the loss of five children from a single household as an irreparable blow to the state and the educational system. He urged motorists to maintain roadworthy vehicles, obey speed limits, and exercise caution to protect vulnerable road users.
The accident has reignited wider conversations about heavy vehicle safety in urban centers. Local civil activist Shuaibu Gara Gombe criticized the recurring menace of truck and tanker accidents in the state, calling on the Gombe State House of Assembly to enact rigorous regulatory measures. He proposed mandatory periodic roadworthiness inspections for commercial tankers and heavy-duty trucks at designated testing stations to prevent further loss of innocent lives on the highways.