By CrossRiverWatch admin
CrossRiverWatch has gathered that tragedy struck Calabar South on Saturday, where a petrol tanker was said to have crushed a man in his late twenties, after offloading its content, Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) in a filling station.
The incident, according to our investigators, happened shortly after two tankers loaded with PMS went to discharge their product at Eddy Excel Petroleum at No. 10 Palm Street Calabar South where a traditional marriage was going on nearby.
An eye witnesses and neighbor to the filling station who does not want to be named revealed that: “While the traditional marriage was on, since permission was gotten from the Calabar South Local Government Council to host the occasion there and as the permit would warrant, the roads must be blocked because it is holding on the road.
“Vehicles, keke and bikes were not allowed to use the road but when the tankers came they were allowed to pass and off load their products, after first one off loaded and passed, serious argument erupted owing to the fact that others were not allowed to pass but eventually peace was achieved.
“When the second one finished off loading and wanted to go, he was asked to wait until the occasion is over which he strongly opposed saying he must go so that he will arrive Uyo same day. At this point I went in to attend to my customers before I could finish I heard loud screams.” He said.
Another eye witness who also spoke to us under anonymity disclosed that, “I was just passing since I stay at the next street when I met the incident”.
He added that while he was passing he saw some boys seriously arguing with the conductor of the tanker up to the point that the conductor was almost beaten up.
“While the arguments were on going the driver just drove with speed I think to scare the crowd thereby making way to pass but in the process he smashed Ikpa who was seriously dancing, immediately the scene changed”.
Our investigators further gathered that immediately, an angry mob believed to gang members of Ikpa, pounced on the driver who later escaped but his conductor was killed while trying to escape.
The petrol station was also looted and destroyed. The victim (Ikpa), from our findings, is a staff of the Calabar South Local Government Council and is a father of two.
Some residents around the area accused the victim, Ikpa of being a senior member of a criminal gang in the area, Supreme Vikings Confraternity and that was what prompted the other gang members to take such action.
As at the time of filling this report, the petrol station was guarded by a combined team of operatives from the state security outfit ‘Operation Skolombo’, Quick Intervention Squad and Civil Defence Corps, with three police hilux trucks stationed at the scene.
Efforts to confirm the state of the case from the State Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Eluu were not yet successful.
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