Seven media professionals mostly from NTA Gombe, included Zarah Umar, a manager and aide to the governor’s wife, Manu Haruna Kwami, NTA’s administration manager, and retired news manager Musa Tabra, among others were involved in a road accident.
They were heading back from a colleague’s wedding in Kaltungo when the NUJ bus somersaulted near Kumo on December 29, 2025.
NTA’s director general and Gombe Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya expressed deep sorrow, vowing support for the four injured and bereaved families, as the media community mourns the irreplaceable loss.
NTA Director General Salihu Abdulhamid Dembos had written: “It is with profound sadness and deep sense of loss that the Management and entire staff of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) received the heartbreaking news of the tragic death of our dear colleagues from NTA Gombe in a fatal auto accident along the Gombe–Boliri Road, while returning from the wedding ceremony of a fellow staff member.
“This unfortunate incident is a big loss to the Authority of dedicated professionals whose commitment, camaraderie, and service to NTA and the nation will be sorely missed. Their passing under such painful circumstances is a great loss, not only to their immediate families and loved ones, but also to the NTA family as a whole.
“On behalf of the Management and staff of the Nigerian Television Authority, i extend our deepest condolences to the families of the deceased, the management and staff of NTA Gombe, and all who were affected by this tragedy. We share in your grief and sorrow during this very difficult time.
“We pray that Almighty God, in His infinite mercy, grants the departed eternal rest, forgives their shortcomings. May He also grant their families, colleagues, and friends the fortitude to bear this irreparable loss.
“May their souls rest in perfect peace.”
