A tragic incident in Utu Etim Ekpo, the headquarters of Etim Ekpo Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State, claimed the lives of three people, including a lawyer, and left many others with severe injuries when a flour-laden truck, being chased by soldiers, lost control and crashed into roadside shops.
The incident occurred around 8 p.m. on Monday when a military patrol team attempted to flag down the truck at a checkpoint near Nkwot Ikot Ebo on the Iwukem-Etim Ekpo-Abak Road. The driver, however, refused to stop and continued speeding, despite the soldiers’ attempts to overtake and stop him. As the truck approached a dangerous slope near the roundabout, the driver lost control, veering off the road and crashing into several makeshift shops at the motor park.
Eyewitnesses, including Eno Umanah, a motorcyclist, described the horrifying scene: “The truck was speeding towards the soldiers. They quickly scrambled to get out of the way, but the driver could not regain control, and the truck crashed into the shops, killing the victims instantly.”
READ ALSO : JUST IN: Akwa Ibom loses first lady
Among those killed was a lawyer whose identity has yet to be disclosed. Witnesses also recounted that this area had seen numerous fatalities in the past, with over 70 deaths attributed to the poorly constructed roundabout and irregular road alignment. A civil engineer familiar with the area expressed concerns that the original road design had been altered by a local politician in collaboration with government officials, contributing to the frequent accidents.
Adding to the grim scene, a female survivor, whose legs were severely injured, was initially turned away by two nearby hospitals before being transferred to the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital for urgent care.
At the time of reporting, military authorities in Akwa Ibom and the Federal Road Safety Corps had not issued any official statements regarding the tragic incident. However, local residents are calling for urgent road safety measures to prevent further fatalities in the area.
Credible News.ng
