The Bauchi State Police Command is grieving the loss of Divisional Police Officer Mustapha Garba, who died in a tragic car accident less than an hour before his wedding ceremony.
Garba, 42, was en route to his wedding Fatiha on Saturday morning when the fatal crash occurred around 11:30 a.m. in the Bargar Tsamiya area of Toro Local Government Area. He was the DPO of the Railway Division in Bauchi.
Police spokesperson SP Mohammed Wakil confirmed the incident in a telephone interview, stating that the accident involved a Mercedes-Benz driven by Garba, which collided with a stationary Opel Astra.
Two other passengers were in the vehicle with him.
“The DPO was travelling from Gumau to Magama Gumau when he hit a pothole, lost control, and veered into the opposite lane, crashing into a parked vehicle before the car somersaulted into the bush,” Wakil said.
One of the deceased was identified as 45-year-old Shaaibu Cheski, a resident of Gumau. Both Garba and Cheski were confirmed dead at Toro General Hospital.
Two other occupants of the vehicle sustained injuries and are receiving treatment.
In a statement, the police command said: “SP Mustapha Garba was on his way to his wedding with three friends when the vehicle lost control and collided with an Opel Vectra. The Commissioner of Police, CP Auwal Sani-Omolori, immediately dispatched personnel to the scene for rescue operations.”
The statement added that three people were confirmed dead by medical personnel at the hospital, and their bodies have been released to their families for burial.
CP Sani-Omolori extended his condolences to the families of the victims and prayed for strength and comfort in their time of grief.