by crossriverwatch admin
SCENES OF THE ACCIDENT
There was pandemonium this along the Calabar-Ikom Highway when a Mack 911 truck with registration number FKJ 505 XC crushed four young boys to dead leaving six others fatally injured at Awi, Akamkpa LGA of Cross River State.
The youths from Mbarakom community were said to be jogging at about 6am this morning in front the Cross River State College of Education when the unfortunate incident occurred.
An eye witness, Miss Ekam Emmanuel told CrossRiverWatch that, “As early as 6:00am when I came to clean my shop, on reaching I met the youths jogging on the highway but suddenly a 911 truck coming from Calabar on high speed from afar was horning for the youths to clear the road but unfortunately, they were late to clear before we knew the truck had already climbed on four that died on the spot. As a result, the Mbarakom youths got angry, the truck driver and his conductor; when they stopped to see what has happened; were pounced on by the youths.
“The driver and the conductor were seriously beaten and the truck set ablaze immediately, another truck with the plate number Cross River, KAM 45 XA coming to pass through to Calabar was forcefully stopped, the driver and others seriously beaten but they managed to escape and the truck also set ablaze. The same thing happened to the Audi driver whose car was burnt also. The scene was bloody if not for the army and policemen that came to calm the situation and
eventually got the situation under control”.
Police Constable Eric Bassey of the traffic department, Nigeria Police Force, Akamkpa Division told CrossRiverWatch that “It was around 5am when the DPO was informed by someone that there’s a riot going on in Awi which at once he gave us the green light to delve into the matter.
“On reaching the scene we discovered that three vehicles were burnt and we discovered that some casualties were there and some dead but immediately we tried to recover the bodies of those dead and those injured for quick medical attention, so we moved swiftly to Mbarakom where we were informed that a driver was held hostage and was beaten badly, we went and successfully recovered him alongside with others and they were taken to the General Hospital Akamkpa where they are receiving medical attention”.
He further disclosed that when the Police got to Mbarakom, the youths exchanged some gun fire with them but no life was lost. He assured that the Police have move into action to restore peace and order in the affected community.
Comrade Nwankwo Isaiah the brother to the conductor of the truck that claimed the lives of four Mbarakom youths said,
“I was called by my boy being the conductor that if I don’t come and meet him in Awi at once he will be killed, when I got there he was seriously assaulted because of an accident. He and the driver were assaulted with machete but not for good spirited individuals and men of the Nigeria police force that intervened. I am deeply surprise because we don’t leave in a lawless society were such inhumane treatment will be meted on them instead”.
When CrossRiverWatch visited the scene of the accident, bodies of the injured had been evacuated but the charred remains of the two trucks that were burnt as well as an Audi car were still on the road. At the Akamkpa General hospital, the injured victims were already receiving treatment.
Some of those at the hospital include: Mr. Chidi Duruba, the conductor of the truck, Miss. 81 year old Blessing Etim, one of the Mbarakom youth who was also seriously injured, the driver of the killer truck, Mr. Edwin Oragunye and a police man attached to the Quick Intervention Squad Sunday Ottor.
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