Five people were killed and eleven others were injured in a deadly car accident on Saturday along the Calabar-Itu highway.
The accident happened at 3 p.m. between a Nissan Caravan with the registration number GWB532XY and a Mack Truck with no registration number.
According to a statement released on Sunday by the Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Akwa Ibom Command, Mr. Matthew Olonisaye.
According to a statement made by the command’s Public Enlightenment Officer, Mr. Paul James, the reason of the accident was overspeeding, and the disaster might have been averted if the motorists had followed safety laws.
“A fatal crash occurred on Saturday, December 2, 2023, along the Itu-Calabar road by Ayadehe at about 1510 hrs.
“The crash involved a Nissan Caravan with registration number GWB532XY and a Mark Truck with no registration number.
“Eleven males and five females were involved, and three out of the five females and two out of the eleven males involved were confirmed dead, while the remaining eleven males and females sustained injuries of various degrees.
“When the report of the incident was received, the FRSC operatives mobilised and moved over to attend to the situation. Upon arrival at the crash scene, the injured ones were moved to nearby hospitals for prompt medical attention, while the bodies of the deceased were deposited at the morgue.
“When inquiry was made as to the cause of the crash, it was gathered that the causal factor to the crash was Speed related according to eyewitnesses. After the evacuation of the victims, the road was cleared of the wreckages to enable free-flow of traffic”
Meanwhile, the sector commander has cautioned motorists to avoid overspeeding, wrong-way driving, and indiscriminate parking.
While underlining the need of driver safety awareness, the sector commander asked passengers to ensure that drivers are not overlooked when violations of road safety are noticed.
He expressed condolences to the relatives of the deceased and wished the injured a speedy recovery.
![Rev. Fr. Anthony Odiong, a US-based Nigerian Louisiana Catholic priest, was arrested in Florida on Tuesday for possessing child pornography, according to law authorities. The suspect is reportedly accused of many other cases of sexual assault. The Waco, Texas, Police Department announced in a Facebook post on Tuesday that officers detained Father Anthony Odiong in Ave Maria, Florida, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service. Waco police announced in March that they had received "credible information" about a sexual assault allegedly committed by Odiong in Texas in 2012. “During the subsequent investigation, a case of possession of child pornography was uncovered,” the police said. The priest was apprehended in Florida by the Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force. The Waco Police Department said that he will be extradited to Texas. Odiong had previously served in the Archdiocese of New Orleans before being removed as priest in December of last year due to controversy over homilies in which he claimed, among other things, that the Catholic Church was being taken over by "the gays." At the time, the priest was also accused of abusive behaviour; a Louisiana lady claimed in U.S. bankruptcy court that Odiong had committed both financial and sexual abuse against her. Prior to joining the New Orleans Archdiocese, Odiong served in at least two Texas parishes. On Tuesday, Waco police stated that during their sexual assault investigation, "the presence of other survivors was revealed." “Multiple women have come forward to tell similar experiences as the sexual assault survivor who reported the initial allegation,” the police department said. “Survivors’ experiences ranged from sexual assault and indecent assault, more commonly recognised as groping, and financial abuse, with some survivors experiencing every element of Anthony Odiong’s manipulation.” The police said they “believe there may be more survivors, and we wish to speak with anyone who [has] had similar encounters” with the priest. The Archdiocese of New Orleans issued a brief news release on Tuesday noting Odiong's arrest in Florida. The archdiocese “encourages anyone with any information to contact law enforcement,” the release said.](https://chronicle.ng/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/ezgif-6-4730550ede-450x300.jpg "Odiong: US-based Nigerian Catholic priest convicted over sexual assault")
