***Police Escorts sustain injuries
By Ahmed Rufa’i, Dutse
The Speaker of the Jigawa State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Haruna Aliyu Dangyatin, narrowly escaped death on Monday when his convoy was involved in a serious accident on the Dutse–Gumel–Maigatari highway.
Sources said the convoy was en route to Maigatari for a state-organized political rally, “Gwamnati da Jumaa” (Government and the People), when one of the vehicles lost control.
Eyewitnesses told National Update that the Speaker’s escort vehicle—a Toyota Hilux pickup carrying police officers—somersaulted several times, ejecting its occupants onto the roadside. Other drivers in the convoy, including the Speaker’s driver, reportedly swerved to avoid a pile-up and stopped a few meters from the crash site.
“The police were thrown out of the vehicle, and for a moment, it looked fatal,” one witness, who requested anonymity, said. “Thankfully, the Speaker’s car was not directly involved.”
The injured officers were rushed to Gumel General Hospital, where they were treated and later discharged. No deaths were recorded, though the Hilux was badly mangled.
Confirming the incident, the Speaker’s Personal Assistant, Mr. Aqeel Akilu, said all officers were “alive and recovering.”
“There was no loss of life. The injured police escorts have been discharged and are feeling better,” Akilu told National Update.
Findings also revealed that the Speaker often joins the governor’s vehicle during major political events, a precaution some aides believe may have minimized risk in Monday’s crash.
The accident has renewed calls for improved safety measures for government convoys on the state’s highways, which are notorious for accidents linked to speeding and poor road conditions.