An electrical surge in the Tudun-Wadan Pantami area of Gombe Metropolis has claimed five lives and left 13 others injured.
The incident occurred in the early hours of Saturday, according to the Gombe State Police Command.
The State’s Permanent Secretary, Special Duties and Regional Coordination, Abdullahi Kulani, was among the five reportedly killed by the electrocution, according to The Nation newspaper.
The incident, which authorities said was caused by a power surge from a nearby transformer, occurred just after dawn, catching residents unawares.
Confirming the incident, the spokesperson of Gombe State Police Command, Buhari Abdullahi, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), said officers from the Low-Cost Divisional Police Headquarters swiftly responded to the distress call.
Abdullahi said: “Our officers moved quickly to secure the scene and evacuate the victims to hospitals for urgent medical care. Unfortunately, five individuals lost their lives and 13 others sustained varying degrees of injuries.”
According to the police, the bodies had been deposited in three different morgues — three at the Federal Teaching Hospital, Gombe, one at the State Specialist Hospital and one at Bolari Filin Kwallo Mortuary.
The injured victims are currently receiving treatment at several health facilities across the state.
Abdullahi noted that the Commissioner of Police, CP Bello Yahaya, described the incident as “deeply saddening” and extended his condolences to the bereaved families.
