One feared dead in Uyo road crash as residents gather to welcome Tinubu

An accident involving a bus painted in the colours of the Akwa Ibom Transport Company and a Hilux van along the Airport Road in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, has reportedly left one person dead.

The accident occurred on Friday amid heavy traffic as residents, party supporters and government officials trooped to the Victor Attah International Airport to welcome President Bola Tinubu, who is expected in the state to commission several projects executed by Governor Umo Eno’s administration.

A video of the accident circulating on Facebook shows several people attempting to remove an apparently injured person from the bus and carry the person across the road.

The entrance door of the bus appeared badly damaged, while the Hilux van was seen overturned, with some people attempting to return it to its upright position.

A police operative was also seen limping in the video. However, it was unclear whether the officer was injured in the accident.

Some people could be heard crying in the background, apparently mourning a loved one.

“O APC campaign, nice one,” a person was heard saying in the video posted on Facebook by Comfort 95.1 FM, a radio station in Akwa Ibom State.

“According to eyewitnesses, one life has reportedly been lost, while several others sustained injuries,” a post accompanying the video reads.

The circumstances surrounding the accident, including the identities of those involved and the number of casualties, were not immediately clear.

When contacted, the spokesperson for the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Akwa Ibom State, Paul James, confirmed the incident.

“I’ve heard of the incident, and our men have been deployed to salvage the situation and assist in the rescue operation. But we haven’t gotten the report or details of the incident yet,” he said.

Mr James said he could not confirm whether anyone died in the crash until he received a briefing from the officers deployed to the scene.

The accident occurred as Akwa Ibom prepared to host Mr Tinubu, who is expected in Uyo on Friday for a two-day official visit to Akwa Ibom and Rivers states.

According to details of the president’s itinerary, he is scheduled to commission several projects executed by the Eno administration and attend an APC rally in Uyo.

The projects include the new International Terminal Building, International Airport Hospital, and Ibom Aviation Village at Victor Attah International Airport.

Others are the Airport-Okopedi Road, which connects communities in Nsit Atai and Okobo local government areas; Ring Road 3; the AKWA-GIS Office Complex; the Command and Control Centre; and the ARISE Palm Resort.

Mr Tinubu is expected to proceed to Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on Saturday for another APC rally.

Ahead of the visit, Mr Eno declared Friday a work-free day in Akwa Ibom State and urged residents to come out en masse to welcome the president.

The declaration was intended to enable residents, particularly civil servants, to participate in the reception and other activities lined up for the visit.

The work-free day, alongside the planned reception and political activities, contributed to the large movement of people towards the airport, with heavy vehicular traffic reported along the Airport Road.

In another Facebook post, Mr Eno was seen waiting at the airport to receive the president.

As of the time of filing this report, the FRSC had yet to provide further details about the accident or confirm the reported fatality.