One person dies in Uyo road accident as crowds gather for Tinubu's arrival

An accident happened on Airport Road in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, involving a bus from the Akwa Ibom Transport Company and a Hilux van. Reports say one person died in the crash.

The accident took place on Friday. Many residents, party supporters, and government officials were on their way to Victor Attah International Airport. They were there to welcome President Bola Tinubu, who is in the state to launch projects by Governor Umo Eno's administration.

A video circulating on Facebook shows people trying to carry an injured person from the bus across the road. The bus had its entrance door badly damaged, and the Hilux van was overturned. Some people were trying to turn it back upright.

In the video, a police officer was seen limping, but it was not clear if he was hurt in the crash. People could be heard crying, mourning a loved one.

"O APC campaign, nice one," a voice in the video said. The post from Comfort 95.1 FM, a radio station in Akwa Ibom, noted that eyewitnesses said one person died and several others were hurt.

Details about the accident, like who was involved and how many people were affected, were not clear right away. Paul James, the spokesperson for the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Akwa Ibom, confirmed the accident when we reached out to him.

"I’ve heard of the incident, and our men have been sent to help and rescue people. But we haven’t got the full report or details yet," he said. He added that he could not confirm any deaths until he spoke with officers on the scene.

The accident occurred as Akwa Ibom was getting ready to host Mr Tinubu. He is expected in Uyo on Friday for a two-day official visit to Akwa Ibom and Rivers states.

According to the president's schedule, he will launch several projects completed 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.

Other projects are the Airport-Okopedi Road, which links 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 will head to Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on Saturday for another APC rally. Before the visit, Mr Eno declared Friday a work-free day in Akwa Ibom State. He asked residents to come out in large numbers to welcome the president.

The work-free day and the planned events led to many people moving toward the airport, causing heavy traffic along Airport Road. As of this report, the FRSC had not provided more details about the accident or confirmed the death.