By Godwin Ajom
Suspected hoodlums on Tuesday attacked a vehicle conveying palliatives of the Nigerian Union of Journalist (NUJ), Cross River State chapter and injured a few along the Barracks Road, Calabar.
The attack happened when the hoodlums attempted to halt the NUJ bus that had left the government warehouse at Barracks Road, laden with bags of rice, beans and garri.
The 18-seater bus was en route to the Press Center at State Housing, when the attackers numbering over 40 discovered the rice in the bus, quickly launched an attack with stones, targeting the driver and one other Journalist. Eyewitnesses say the hoodlums’ target were the bags of rice and beans. The driver Mr. Joseph Akpaenin narrowly escaped and drove off even while in bruises and his phone stolen.
He narrated that his serving grace was when the car trunk flunked and several bags of rice and garri dropped off. While they pounced on the dropped items, he used the opportunity to scamper for safety.
The Nigerian Tribune State Correspondent, Mr. Joseph Abasi-Abasi and NUJ‘s auxiliary staff Saviour Ekpenyong were injured and currently receiving treatment in an undisclosed hospital.
Similarly, a bus registered with Romchi Transport Company, has been involved in an auto crash leaving three undergraduates from the University of Cross River State (UNICROSS) dead and others brutally injured.
Sources say the accident happened at Ikom axis of the Calabar-Ikom highway on Monday noon.
They were said to be on their way from Calabar to Ogoja and the cause of the accident is not ascertained at the time of this report.
Two from the Department of Microbiology and one from Micro-biotech reportedly lost their lives.