2nd December, 2010
A PDP women leader in Ogoja Local Government Area of Cross River State, Mrs. Emila Agbiji died Monday in an auto crash along the Ikom -Calabar highway while rushing to Calabar to welcome the First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, who was on a visit to Calabar to launch Mrs. Obioma Imoke’s empowerment programme.
The woman was among a group of women provided with buses by the wife of the state governor to bring women across the state to the programme.
She reportedly died from the injuries she sustained on her head when the Ogoja council bus she was travelling in ran into the bush after its front tyre exploded while on top speed at Akpet in Biase Local Government Area of the state.
Several women, including Hope Oko, Aduke Audu, Monica Inyambe, Agi Ibu suffered injuries during the crash.
“We left Ogoja for Calabar at about 10a.m., which was rather late considering the bad state of the road and the First Lady was scheduled to arrive Calabar at 12 p.m. The driver was speeding when suddenly the tyre burst. The driver lost control and the bus ran into the bush. That was where Emilia died,†Hope Oko told P.M.NEWS at the General Hospital, Ogoja.
The journey to Calabar was aborted as a result of the crash and the women who sustained injuries were taken to Ugep General Hospital before they were transferred to the General Hospital, Ogoja.
Efforts made to reach Ms. Marilyn Omuabor, press secretary to Obioma Imoke to comment on the incident, proved abortive as her GSM phone was switched off.
—Emma Una/ Calabar
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