The Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) has been thrown into mourning following the death of three of its members in a tragic road accident involving a team returning from an EMS Saturation Outreach mission.
According to a report by ThisDay, ECWA’s Public Relations Officer, Danjuma Dickson Auta, revealed in a statement that a bus carrying 14 members from Zonzon DCC in Kaduna State was involved in a crash near the Lariski area of Bauchi State while returning from Taraba State.
The statement added that the injured victims were taken to a hospital in Gombe, where three were confirmed dead.
Six others are still receiving treatment, while five have been discharged after stabilising.
The victims who lost their lives were identified as Mama Deborah Bonat, a former ECWA Women Fellowship International leader; Rev. Habila Tagwai Kajan, former Zonzon DCC secretary; and Mama Lydia John.
ECWA leadership stated that efforts are ongoing to ensure the bodies of the deceased are returned to their families for burial.
The church also extended condolences to the grieving families and urged members to remain calm, prayerful, and steadfast in faith during the difficult period.
Meanwhile, Monisola Eniola-Ashaolu, who identified herself as Deborah Bonat’s daughter, paid an emotional tribute to her late mother in a post shared on X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday, March 31, 2026. She wrote:
“On Monday, March 23rd, 2026, while returning from a successful evangelistic outreach in Taraba State, my Momma was called to eternal rest following a tragic vehicle accident.
“She died as she lived.
“On the frontlines of the Gospel, surrounded by the people she loved, and advancing the Kingdom of God.
“There are no words to fully capture the weight of this loss for me.
“She was my iron woman, the master planner, and my spiritual anchor. My everything!
“To lose her while she was on the front lines of the Gospel seems like a sacrifice that feels too heavy for me to bear.
“But if you knew my mother, you’d know that she didn’t just live for Christ; she was ALWAYS in the line of duty. She travelled the entire landscape of this country and outside its shores for the Gospel.
“So how else was she to die?
“She had to go out while on duty. Her death itself still had to be a final act of evangelism because trust me, even her death is preaching to people.
“You know, I also went for this outreach, but to Kebbi. I was told of her death while on the road coming back. She was supposed to be in Kebbi with me, but at the last minute, she said she wanted to go with the team from our home DCC to Taraba. She wanted to be with them. That was her heart. Always with her people, always for the Gospel.
“I am reassured that it was her time to go.
“Why?
“Because other people including her younger brother who was seated with her came out without a scratch. Alive and well. Out of 14 people, 3 of them were handpicked.
“While I am a “strong woman” today because I watched her live, today I feel the weight of it all.
“My Momma is gone.
“She is now history.
“A statistic.
“Gone.
“Forever!
“The finality of it all…
“Please stand with us in prayer.
“For the divine comfort that only the Holy Spirit can provide for our family.
“For the complete healing of those still receiving care in the hospital.
“That the legacy of her faith, her grit, her love and her commitment to missions will continue with us and even beyond our generation.
“Her death has hit so many people beyond us her immediate family. She touched lives. She had many people. Many many people we didn’t even envision.
“Please pray…
“Deborah Bonat April 1957 – March 2026
“Sai godiya!
“Swanta Blessing.”
