The Ikot Osurua campus of the Akwa Ibom State Polytechnic (AkwaPoly) at Ikot Ekpene local government area, has been thrown into mourning following shocking deaths in a fatal accident involving two female students of the school and the motorcyclist that conveyed them.
The state’s sector commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Mr Mathew Olonisaye, who confirmed this to LEADERSHIP yesterday, said the ghastly accident involving a truck loaded with Pepsi cola drinks and a motorcyclist ferrying the students, occurred at about 3:30 pm on Monday, killing the three persons, two females and one male instantly.
Olonisaye said the accident occurred at a junction around Ikot Inyang village along the ever – busy Ikot Ekpene- Aba Road, and attributed it to wrongful overtaking.
While sympathising with the school authorities and parents of the deceased, the state’s Corps Commander, described the incident as sad and unfortunate, even as he advised road users to always adhere to road safety rules while driving in order not to run into avoidable deaths.
Checks by LEADERSHIP revealed the two students; Abasifreke Okon, from Ikot Abasi local government area and her friend and course mate, Irene Edwin, from Ibesikpo Asutan LGA, were National Diploma (ND 2) students of Science Laboratory Technology (SLT), and were on their way to procuring materials for their practical examinations on Tuesday, when the sad incident occurred.
However, the public relations officer of the school, Gloria Samuel, said the institution’s rector, Dr Moses Umobong, who described the incident as “very unfortunate”, has expressed a deep sense of empathy to parents of the deceased students, friends and associates on the untimely demise of their loved ones, and prayed for the repose of their souls by the God Almighty.
In honour of the dead students, Umobong, has put all the ongoing examinations on hold, while the students’ community mourn their departed colleagues.
One of the students, ImaAbasi Effiong, who lamented the sudden eternal departure of the duo, recalled that “they were like conjoined twins, always together in reading and other academic activities including social outings in and outside the campus,” and prayed God’s mercy for their souls and for the families to bear the loss.
“They (the deceased) were on the verge of signing out of the school at the end of the examinations which should have marked the end and graduation from their ND 2 programmes, but the unexpected came with the abrupt termination of their lives, it is really a black moment for us, only God knows the best,” she lamented, amid tears.
