Three people lost their lives, and several others sustained injuries after an articulated truck transporting flour veered off the road and crashed into shops in Utu Etim Ekpo, the administrative center of Etim Ekpo Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State.
The tragic incident occurred on Monday around 8 p.m.
Attempts to reach the state Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Edward Odiete, were unsuccessful, as his phone lines were switched off at the time of filing this report. However, the Corps Public Relations Officer, John James, assured that an update would be provided once available.
Local eyewitness Gabriel Akpan confirmed the incident, explaining that the accident followed a chase by personnel allegedly attempting to extort the truck driver at a roadblock on the Iwukem–Etim Ekpo–Abak road. Eno Umanah, a resident and motorcycle operator, recounted that the truck, moving at high speed after evading the officers, lost control on a downhill slope near the Etim Ekpo roundabout and plowed into several makeshift shops, resulting in the fatalities.
“It all started when the truck driver, transporting flour from Iwukem toward Abak, was signaled to stop by some personnel at Nkwot Ikot Ebo. He refused, leading them to pursue and overtake him,” Umanah said. “Despite their efforts, he wouldn’t stop, and ultimately, he couldn’t manage the speed on the slope, causing the crash.”
Residents report that the road, constructed during former Governor Godswill Akpabio’s tenure, has seen multiple accidents, with another resident, Akaninyene Umanah, attributing the frequent crashes to what he described as “poor and irregular road alignment.”
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