•Scene of the accident
Three people, including a lawyer, were reported dead and several others severely injured when a flour-loaded truck, pursued by soldiers, crashed into shops in Utu Etim Ekpo, the headquarters of Etim Ekpo Local Government Area (LGA), Akwa Ibom State.
Residents recounted that the tragedy occurred around 8 p.m. yesterday when a military patrol team began pursuing the truck after its driver failed to stop at a checkpoint near Nkwot Ikot Ebo on the Iwukem-Etim Ekpo-Abak Road, reports Vanguard.
Eno Umanah, a motorcyclist and eyewitness, described the incident: “The truck, loaded with flour, was coming from the Iwukem direction toward Abak and was flagged down at the soldiers’ checkpoint at Nkwot Ikot Ebo. The driver refused to stop.
“The soldiers overtook the truck, but the driver still wouldn’t stop, speeding towards them. The soldiers scrambled for safety as the truck sped down a slope toward the roundabout. It was impossible to navigate safely at that speed.
“The driver lost control, veering off the road and crashing into a row of makeshift shops by the motor park, killing the unsuspecting victims instantly, including the lawyer, whose name has yet to be released.”
Akaninyene Umanah, another local resident, claimed that over 70 lives, including those of churchgoers returning from a convention and travelers, have been lost on that road. Many residents attribute these frequent fatalities to the poorly constructed roundabout in the area.
A civil engineer familiar with the site described the spot as having “poor and irregular road alignment by the contractors,” alleging that a prominent politician from Etim Ekpo collaborated with government officials to alter the original road design during construction.
“I raised concerns about that roundabout years ago and was accused of insulting the elders of Etim Ekpo. The structure needs to be removed or replaced with a properly constructed roundabout to save lives.
“Approaching the roundabout from the stadium is very risky due to the slope. I hope this latest fatality prompts action,” he added.
A female survivor, whose legs were mangled in the crash, was initially turned away by nearby Divine Love Hospital in Utu Ikot Imonte and later by the Utu Etim Ekpo Government Hospital. She was eventually rushed to the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital (UUTH), about a 45-minute drive from the accident site.
At the time of reporting, military authorities in Akwa Ibom and the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) State Sector Command Public Relations Officer (PRO) John James had yet to comment on the incident.
