Truck Ramming into Easter Procession in Nigeria Dominated Intentional
Trailer truck rams Easter procession in Billiri, Gombe state, Nigeria on April 21, 2025. (Screenshot from video on Instagram guts104.9fm)
ABUJA, Nigeria (Christian Day by day Worldwide–Morning Star Information) – Investigators have concluded {that a} trailer truck driver deliberately crashed into an Easter procession in Nigeria, killing six Christians, sources stated.
Greater than 30 Christians had been hospitalized when the truck on April 21 rammed an Easter Monday procession in Billiri, Gombe state, northeast Nigeria, officers stated.
Police initially tried to attribute the incident to brake failure, however a committee shaped by Gombe state officers concluded that the driving force intentionally ploughed into the procession. Witnesses reportedly stated it neither slowed nor honked earlier than slamming by way of the procession, then had no hassle coming to a halt.
The ad-hoc committee chairman, Rambi Ayala, informed reporters that 18 of the injured had been nonetheless receiving remedy at hospitals in Gombe. He recognized the Christians killed as Grace David, Clement Lakason, Ephraim Ibrahim, Faida P. Uslas, Rejoice Mela and Reward Ayuba.
Andele Tadi and David Yohanna, two Billiri neighborhood leaders, stated in a press assertion that the 18-wheel trailer truck stuffed with grain bore down on the Christians from behind on the Tashan Gona junction.
“As quickly because the Muslim driver noticed the group of Christians forward of him, he elevated his velocity and bumped into the group from behind them with out ever honking his horn,” they stated. “He mowed a number of Christians…A few of these Christians are completely maimed, and their lives won’t stay the identical.”
The driving force stopped the automobile and ran towards police observing the assault, Tadi and Yohanna stated.
“The cops rapidly put the driving force of their automobile and drove away with him, forsaking them each useless and stay our bodies trapped beneath the loaded trailer of the driving force,” they stated. “Rejoicing and dancing had now was weeping and wailing. Some Christians got here to the rescue of the victims and tried to take away them from beneath the heavy automobile.”
The injured had been rushed to Normal Hospital Billiri, however there have been no emergency objects and drugs there, they stated.
“The hospital pharmacy itself was closed, and there was nobody on responsibility,” they stated. “The volunteer medical staff who had been there needed to get the emergency medication and objects from a close-by pharmacy.”
The assault by the driving force, recognized by Gombe State Police as Usman Muhammed, adopted an earlier incident that morning in Billiri, they stated. At about 6:30 a.m., a automobile bumped into a person and his daughter on a bike who had been coming from the Easter service.
“This primary incident occurred on the entrance to the Federal Authorities School, Billiri,” they stated. “The younger Christian woman sustained some accidents, and her leg was bandaged to scale back bleeding. Her dad took her away for medical consideration.”
Throughout Christmas celebrations final December within the metropolis of Gombe, “a truck drove by a Muslim driver ran right into a crowd of Christians, and as much as 15 Christians had been injured,” they stated. “Now we see a repeat of this in Billiri city.”
In 2019, they added, a Muslim police officer intentionally drove his automotive into a bunch of Christian youths, members of the Boys Brigade who had been celebrating Easter within the metropolis of Gombe, killing 10 of them injuring greater than 30.
Buhari Abdullahi, spokesman for the Gombe State Police Command, stated in a press assertion that the truck driver, Muhammed, has been charged in court docket.
“Usman Muhammed, male, 28 years outdated, of Afghanistan Quarters, has been formally charged with (1) thoughtless driving and (2) inflicting demise by harmful driving, and the matter will proceed to court docket,” Abdullahi stated.
Space resident Nathaniel Chechera stated what started as a joyful Easter celebration was a tragedy.
“Christians who had been merely out to specific their religion and pleasure had been compelled into mourning,” Chechera informed Morning Star Information, including that such assaults have change into a pastime for terrorists who derive pleasure in killing Christians as they see these acts as jihad and worship of Allah.
“This isn’t the primary time. Christian festive seasons in Gombe are more and more changing into moments of sorrow due to the reckless and heartless actions of some Muslim truck drivers,” Chechera stated. “This cycle of bloodshed in Gombe state should finish as they don’t seem to be simply ‘accidents.’ They’re avoidable tragedies.”
Hephen Yerima, one other Billiri city resident, stated his coronary heart was heavy.
“As soon as once more, tragedy has struck throughout an Easter rally in Gombe state. Lives misplaced, households shattered and desires lower quick,” Yerima informed Morning Star Information. “This isn’t the primary time. It’s really the third. That is changing into a heartbreaking sample. This constant lack of lives is a focused sample in opposition to Christians.”
Nigeria remained among the many most harmful locations on earth for Christians, in line with Open Doorways’ 2025 World Watch Listing of the international locations the place it’s most tough to be a Christian. Of the 4,476 Christians killed for his or her religion worldwide throughout the reporting interval, 3,100 (69 %) had been in Nigeria, in line with the WWL.
“The measure of anti-Christian violence within the nation is already on the most doable beneath World Watch Listing methodology,” the report acknowledged.
Within the nation’s North-Central zone, the place Christians are extra widespread than they’re within the North-East and North-West, Islamic extremist Fulani militia assault farming communities, killing many tons of, Christians above all, in line with the report. Jihadist teams similar to Boko Haram and the splinter group Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP), amongst others, are additionally lively within the nation’s northern states, the place federal authorities management is scant and Christians and their communities proceed to be the targets of raids, sexual violence, and roadblock killings, in line with the report. Abductions for ransom have elevated significantly lately.
The violence has unfold to southern states, and a brand new jihadist terror group, Lakurawa, has emerged within the northwest, armed with superior weaponry and a radical Islamist agenda, the WWL famous. Lakurawa is affiliated with the expansionist Al-Qaeda insurgency Jama’a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin, or JNIM, originating in Mali.
Nigeria ranked seventh on the 2025 WWL record of the 50 worst international locations for Christians.
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