The truck laden with grains “lost control due to brake failure” and rammed into the procession along the highway in the predominantly Christian town of Billiri, Buhari Abdullahi, police spokesman for Gombe state said in a statement dated Monday.

“Regrettably, five persons… were confirmed dead by medical personnel, while eight others are currently receiving treatment,” he said.

After the accident, irate youth went on a rampage in the town in protest, burning the truck and looting shops along the highway lining Billiri and the state capital, 65km away, he added.

The mob marched to the police headquarters in the town, hurling stones at policemen, some of whom suffered injuries, he said.

Police made eight arrests, Abdullahi said.

Street processions marking religious observances are common in Nigeria, a deeply religious country of more than 200 million people which is roughly divided between the Muslim north and Christian south.

Accidents involving religious processions occasionally occur.

In 2019, eight children were killed and more than 30 injured when an off-duty policeman rammed his car into a group of children during an Easter procession in Gombe.

The policeman and his colleague were killed by a mob and his car burnt, the police said at the time.

In Dec 2016, at least 13 Muslim school children were killed when a bus skidded off the road and rammed into a procession marking the birthday of Prophet Mohammed in a village, 20km from Gombe city.