Cynthia, a first year diploma student of Computer Science at Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Abia State, was crushed to death by a bus belonging to the Akwa Ibom State Transport Corporation (AKTC), in front of the school gate on Monday, August 18, 2014.
According to reports, the deceased died on the spot, which spurred the students to burn the AKTC bus and if not for the timely intervention of the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Hillary Edeoga, the driver would have also been burnt to death by the aggrieved students.
Confirming the incident, the public relations officer of the university, Mrs. Onyinye Ralph-Nwachukwu said she felt terrible about the death of the student.
Meanwhile, the remains of the victim has since been deposited at the morgue of the Federal Medical Centre, FMC, Umuahia.
Vanguard reports:
The angry students were said to have descended on the bus when they realized that their colleague was dead, especially when it was said that the drivers attached to the Akwa Ibom Transport Corporation had been warned severally to slow down whenever they approached the school gate located on the busy Umuahia-Ikot Ekpene-Uyo-Calabar narrow road.
When Vanguard visited the university yesterday, it was observed that the burnt vehicle had been removed and students going about their normal academic activities.
Vanguard observed that drivers of the Akwa Ibom Company drive very recklessly, despite the poor condition of the road.
A resident said: “Drivers of this company are notorious with reckless driving. One wonders if they have value for human beings. You can never see them drive like normal drivers.
“They don’t mind the condition of the roads they ply. When they approach this gate they hardly slow down despite the warning. Now see this one wasted the life of this young girl.
“People who travel all over the country always complain about the recklessness of the drivers attached to this company.”
