Taraba Ag Governor Escapes Death

The Acting Governor of Taraba State, Alhaji Garba Umar, Monday escaped death in an accident that involved his convoy and that of the Emir of Bauchi, in Bauchi State.

The autocrash is coming about one year after the state governor, Danbaba Suntai was involved in an aircash involving Cessna 208 5N-BMJ aircraft with six persons on board at Yola, Adamawa State.

Suntai is still recuperating from the crash which led to his being flown abroad.

However, sources said that some vehicles in Umar’s covoy collided with others on the convoy of the Emir of Bauchi, Alhaji Suleiman Rilwanu Adamu, at about 11.32 am at Shafuri village in Bauchi.

The village is about 25 kilometres from Bauchi metropolis.

Some vehicles in the governor’s convoy were trying to overtake the Emir’s convoy, when the incident happened. Umar escaped unhurt even as two people sustained injuries while about seven escort vehicles were destroyed.

Three of the damaged escort vehicles belonged to the Taraba State government while the others were on the Emir’s.

Some of the damaged vehicles had their registration numbers as TSGH 01 or Escort 1, Escort 2, Escort 3 and S. FADARI.

Umar was on his way to pay a condolence visit to Governor Isa Yuguda of Bauchi State over the death of his sister last week when the accident occured.

According to an eyewitness, the accident occured when one of the vehicles escorting the Taraba State Governor tried to overtake another vehicle on the Emir’s convoy and in the process collided with one of those on the Emir’s convoy, causing multiple accident.

Confirming the autocrash, the state Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC, Mr Henry Olatunji said that only two out of the 16 persons that were involved in the crash, sustained injuries.