AKWA IBOM LAWYER, TWO OTHERS KILLED IN FATAL CHECKPOINT ACCIDENT

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The headquarters of the Etim Ekpo Local Government Area in Akwa Ibom State, Utu Etim Ekpo, was struck by an articulated truck carrying bulky flour consignments on Tuesday, killing a lawyer and two other people and injuring numerous more.

According to information our correspondent obtained, medical personnel at the adjacent Divine Love Hospital at Utu Ikot Imonte and the Utu Etim Ekpo Government Hospital turned away a woman whose two legs were mangled in the accident.

She is currently receiving treatment at the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital, which was her first port of call.

Commander Edward Odiete, the state Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps, was unavailable when contacted because his lines were turned off at the time.

John James, the state’s Corps Public Relations Officer, however, pledged to provide an update “as soon as I reach the office.”

The development was confirmed on Tuesday by a local source who went by the name Gabriel Akpan.

The tragic event happened at around 8:00 p.m. on Monday, according to another local, motorcycle rider Eno Umanah, who told our correspondent in Uyo. The truck driver was escaping from some bribe-taking security guards who had set up a roadblock at the Nkwot Ikot Ebo section of the Iwukem-Etim Ekpo-Abak road when he lost control and crashed into stores, instantly killing the victims.

He said, “The truck loaded with flour was coming from the Iwukem area of the road towards Abak, and was flagged down by soldiers mounting road block at Nkwot Ikot Ebo, but the driver refused to stop.

“The soldiers then pursued and overtook the truck, but the driver again refused to stop. The soldiers scampered away as the truck continued with speed and descended the sloop towards the roundabout, but couldn’t navigate away with the speed.

“The driver then lost control and veered off the road into several makeshift shops by the motor park, and crashed, killing the unsuspecting victims suddenly.”

Since it was built under Godswill Akpabio’s leadership, the road has claimed several lives.

About 40 churchgoers coming from a church convention were among the more than 70 people who died, said to Mr. Akaninyene Umanah, another local resident. Other deaths included motorcyclists and other commercial buses.

He blamed incessant accidents on that same spot on what he described as “poor and irregular road alignment by the contractors.”