By Egufe Yafugborhi
Several people have sustained injuries on Wednesday after an Akwa Ibom State Transport Corporation (AKTC) bus conveying women to welcome President Bola Tinubu collided with a security vehicle along Oron Road, Uyo.
The victims were reportedly among supporters mobilised to join Governor Umo Eno in welcoming the President, who arrived in Akwa Ibom State through Calabar for an official visit.
The accident involved the bus, loaded with women heading towards the airport, and a security Hilux van with both vehicles were badly damaged in the collision, leaving several occupants injured and requiring emergency assistance.
Nsikakabasi Akpan, who captured the aftermath of the accident, shared footage showing early responders and other persons struggling to evacuate injured victims from the wreckage of the vehicles.
He described the incident as an accident along Oron Road involving a bus conveying women to the airport to receive the President and a security Hilux vehicle.
Confirming the incident, Paul James, Public Relations Officer, Road Safety Operations, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Akwa Ibom State Command, said the command had dispatched a response team to the scene.
James, however, said the command was yet to establish the extent of casualties and the circumstances surrounding the collision.
The reported accident cast a shadow over the build-up to Tinubu’s visit, which attracted supporters and political stakeholders who had gathered to receive the President and his wife, Senator Oluremi Tinubu.
The presidential couple were subsequently received by Governor Eno at the Victor Attah International Airport, Uyo, marking the commencement of their engagements in the state.
The President’s official visit featured the unveiling of the airport’s new terminal, a major aviation infrastructure project expected to facilitate the commencement of international flight operations from the Victor Attah International Airport.
The circumstances surrounding the crash, including the feared death and number of injured victims, were yet to be officially established by the FRSC as of the time of filing this report.