Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Four people have been confirmed dead and several others injured after a truck loaded with assorted foodstuffs suffered a brake failure, veered off the Gombe-Kumo Road and crashed into roadside shops and pedestrians at Mile Uku Sabuwa, near the Biu Roundabout in Gombe State. The incident, which occurred on Wednesday, May 20, 2026, triggered panic in the bustling commercial area as residents, sympathisers and emergency responders rushed to the scene, with some rescue efforts carried out by people using their bare hands. Among those killed was a woman who was inside her shop when the out-of-control vehicle ploughed through the structure. Eyewitnesses said the truck driver was attempting to make a U-turn when the brakes reportedly failed, causing the vehicle to veer off the road and ram into nearby structures and people. Several others sustained varying degrees of injuries and were rushed to nearby medical facilities for treatment.
The accident occurred along the Gombe-Kumo Road at Mile Uku Sabuwa, near Biu Roundabout, a busy commercial corridor on the outskirts of Gombe metropolis. Eyewitness accounts gathered from the scene indicated that the truck, which was loaded with assorted foodstuffs, lost control after the driver experienced a sudden brake failure. According to some accounts, the driver was attempting to execute a U-turn when the brakes reportedly failed, causing the truck to veer off the road and plough into roadside shops and pedestrians. The impact caused massive destruction in the area, with several shops reduced to rubble and motorcycles crushed beneath the weight of the vehicle. Among the victims was a woman who was inside her shop at the time of the incident, reportedly killed instantly. Other victims included pedestrians who were in the wrong place at the wrong time.
The tragic incident has drawn attention to a separate but similarly devastating crash that occurred on the same day along the Gombe-Yola Federal Highway at the New Mile 3 Market, where a truck loaded with bags of grains suffered brake failure and rammed into motorcycles, pedestrians and nearby shops, killing two persons and injuring two others. In that incident, which occurred at approximately 11:30 a.m., the Gombe State Police Command confirmed that the crash involved a DAF truck with registration number XH 122 GME, three motorcycles, pedestrians and several shops. The deceased were identified as Woman Police Constable Sharifa Gaina, attached to the Communications Department of the Gombe State Command, and an unidentified male pedestrian. The Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Buhari Abdullahi, said preliminary investigations indicated that the truck driver was attempting to enter a filling station through a one-way access when the vehicle reportedly developed brake failure. Two other persons, including the truck driver, sustained injuries and were receiving treatment. The driver has been placed under arrest and will face prosecution once discharged from hospital.
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) Sector Commander in Gombe State, Samson Kaura, confirmed the New Mile 3 incident and laid the blame squarely on the truck driver's disregard for traffic rules. "It was caused by a trailer who took fuel at Rano filling station. Instead of taking the right route, he did route violation. He lost control. Two casualty, one male and one female. The two had injuries," Kaura said. He appealed to motorists to be more disciplined, adding: "Take the right lane to prevent accidents, people should obey regulations, we should organise our journey in such a way that we can take our time to comply with route regulation."
The Commissioner of Police in Gombe State, CP Umar Ahmed Chuso, issued a stern warning to motorists in the wake of the tragedy, urging drivers to ensure strict compliance with traffic regulations and proper maintenance of their vehicles to prevent avoidable road accidents. Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya expressed sadness over the incident, describing the crash as heartbreaking and unfortunate, especially given the loss of lives and destruction of property. He extended his condolences to the families of the deceased and prayed for the peaceful repose of their souls. The governor also sympathised with those injured and wished them speedy recovery. Yahaya commended the swift response of security personnel, emergency responders and relevant agencies involved in rescue and assessment operations at the scene, and further called on motorists, particularly drivers of heavy-duty vehicles, to strictly adhere to traffic regulations and safety measures.
Road accidents involving articulated vehicles have become alarmingly frequent along the Gombe-Kumo and Gombe-Yola corridors. This latest tragedy comes just four months after two persons were killed in Gombe when a truck with a faulty handbrake rolled uncontrollably and collided with a stationary vehicle. In January 2026, five persons were killed in a gas tanker crash in Akko Local Government Area. Between December 2025 and January 2026 alone, Gombe State recorded 301 road traffic crashes that claimed 38 lives and injured 845 persons, according to FRSC data. Investigators have consistently pointed to brake failure, tyre bursts, route violations, and poor vehicle maintenance as recurring causes.
As the sun set over Mile Uku Sabuwa on Wednesday evening, what remained of the destroyed shops stood as grim monuments to a tragedy that should not have occurred. The woman who died inside her shop had likely begun her day like any other, arranging her goods, greeting customers, expecting to close at dusk and return home to her family. Instead, she became one of four victims of a brake failure that a pre-trip inspection might have prevented. Her family now joins the growing list of Nigerian families who have lost loved ones to the carelessness of drivers who treat public roads as personal racetracks and vehicle maintenance as an afterthought. Until enforcement catches up with the scale of the problem, the crashes will continue, and more women will die inside their shops.
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