The Ikot Osurua campus of the Akwa Ibom State Polytechnic (AkwaPoly), Ikot Ekpene local government area, has been thrown into mourning following the death of two female students of the school and a motorcyclist in an accident.
The State’s Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Mr. Mathew Olonisaye, who confirmed this to LEADERSHIP on Tuesday, said the ghastly accident involving a truck loaded with soft drink and a motorcyclist ferrying the students, occurred at about 3:30pm on Monday, killing the three persons 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 FRSC spokesman described the incident as sad and unfortunate one, 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 that the two deceased students; Abasifreke Okon, from Ikot Abasi Local Government Area and her friend and coursemate, 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 Monday, when the sad incident occurred.
Meanwhile, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) 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 deceased students, Dr. Umobong, according to her, has put all the ongoing examinations on hold, while the students’ community mourns their departed colleagues.
One of the students, ImaAbasi Effiong, who lamented the sudden death 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 the fortitude for their 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.
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