NEDC to Offset Medical Bills of Journalists Injured in Bauchi Accident

By David Odama

The North East Development Commission (NEDC) has pledged to fully offset the medical bills of journalists who sustained injuries in a ghastly road accident in Bauchi State. The commission made the pledge while commissioning a state-of-the-art fire station at Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU), Bauchi.

The accident occurred last Friday along the Yashi–Yelwan Duguri Road in Alkaleri Local Government Area when a vehicle conveying journalists covering NEDC project commissioning activities was involved in a crash. Thirteen journalists sustained varying degrees of injuries.
Those affected include reporters from the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), correspondents of The Guardian and The Nation newspapers, a cameraman with the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), cameramen from Channels Television and Arise TV, a correspondent of Africa Independent Television (AIT), two reporters from the Bauchi Radio Corporation (BRC), a cameraman from Bauchi State Television (BATV), an online media reporter, as well as the vehicle’s driver.
The Chief Executive Officer of the NEDC, Muhammad Goni Alkali, said the project was driven by the need to protect lives and property within the university community, particularly in the event of fire emergencies. He encouraged the management of ATBU to ensure proper maintenance of the facilities to achieve their intended objectives.
Receiving the project on behalf of the university, the Vice-Chancellor of ATBU, Professor Ibrahim Hassan Garba—represented by the University Librarian, Dr. Dauda Adamu Bakum—described the fire station as more than just an infrastructure.
“This station is a beacon of security. Equipped with modern firefighting tools and a rapid-response vehicle, it will safeguard our laboratories, hostels, lecture halls, and the over 23,000 souls who call ATBU home,” he said.
Dr. Bakum added that the facility stands as a testament to the NEDC’s commitment to safety, resilience, and sustainable development in the North-East, noting that the university would integrate the station into its emergency response framework and extend its services to neighboring communities.