by crossriverwatch admin
Eleven days after the bloody Christmas Eve in Awi, Akamkpa LGA of Cross River State where youths from Mbarakom community angrily burnt two Mack trucks and an Audi vehicle after one of the trucks killed four youths on the spot leaving six others gravely injured at the gate of the State College of Education, the relics of the accident are still dangerously adorning the road with attendants risk of more accidents.
Follow up by CrossRiverWatch reveals that victims of the incident are still receiving treatment in hospital.
Mr. David Makinde, the driver of the truck that was pounced upon only for slowing down to exchange pleasantries shared his experience with our reporter.
He said, “As I was coming early in the morning I met some youths on the road, they filled the road to the point that no one, even bike will pass through because in my view they were more than 500, the point you see my truck packed in the middle of the road is because I totally slowed down and eventually stopped. Immediately I saw them I slowed down for them to clear the road and because I know some of them I began shaking them with my left hand.
“But in a twinkle of an eye I spotted another truck coming with high speed from Calabar at once I tried to slow him down by flashing him severally but because the weather was very bad, not clear then with that speed he brushed me by the driver side before he returned to the other side where he killed four on the spot. If he had not brushed me he would have killed over 20 because the crowd then was by my right hand side.
“I then noticed that the other truck had killed someone, while peeping I spotted someone with axe and pistol rushing towards me then he asked me to come down which I protested by shouting at him that I’m I the cause at once he smashed my door with the axe then I rushed out through the other door for safety. I ran into the college and then into the bush where I met some people that were going to fetch water and one of them borrowed me his phone to call my company”.
Eleven days after, the burnt trucks and Audi car are still lying on the road. One of the trucks belonging to S & V Rocks Limited in Nsan Village, Akamkpa with registration number Cross River KAM 45 XA has now become a roundabout that commuter’s cycle around, the Audi car is still where it was and the bus stop renovated by Faith Plant in front of the College gate was defaced by the burnt car and is still not cleaned while the other truck that killed the youths has not been touched and its owner unknown.
The Transport Manager of S & V Rocks Limited in Nsan Village, Akamkpa Mr. Valentine Ofuobi confirmed to CrossRiverWatch that their truck was fully loaded with asphalt (coal) and his company lost about 21 Million Naira as a result of the attack.
“The disaster has made our company lost about 21 million naira which includes the cost of the truck and coal it was carrying, our aim is to remove the truck from the road before it does more damage that is why our engineers are currently on ground working towards that”, Valentine said.
Miss. Ekam Emmanuel, the eye witness that confirmed the accident to our reporter in the previous report told CrossRiverWatch that “I’m shocked that with the level of publicity the report received till now the Federal Road Safety Corps Marshal that its primary duty is on the federal high way, 11 days after has done nothing to salvage the situation by clearing the scene of its remnants which I consider a misdemeanor in service to the state and country. They have a check point close to that of the Army’s that they don’t miss on daily basis but have done nothing about this one”.
Efforts by CrossRiverWatch to reach officials of Department of Public Transportation, DOPT and The Federal Road Safety Corps in Calabar were unsuccessful.
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