Ikwo Okon Edet, a seven-year-old primary one student from Ikot Effanga in Cross River State’s Akpabuyo Local Government Area was crushed by a cement-laden vehicle operated by a multinational corporation.
According to reports, the little girl was walking back to her house when the fast vehicle veered off the road and ran her over.
The event was said to have occurred on Friday afternoon.
According to eyewitnesses, the truck driver was nearly swamped by enraged neighborhood youths since trucks had been murdering youngsters on a daily basis.
Chief Edet Offiong Effiom, the girl’s grandpa and a village leader, regretted the death of his granddaughter.
He stated that even if it happened in this manner, he cannot blame God, nor can any money equal someone’s life.
He called on Lafarge plc, owners of the trucks, to compensate the family.
Chief Effiom also advised truck drivers against recklessness and overspeeding which he said were not necessary for such a small road, maintaining that there were other road users and even school children.
Reacting, Chairman of Akpabuyo local government council, Hon. Emmanuell Offiong Bassey, decried incessant killings of indigenes and other Nigerians by trucks owned by the firm.
He urged the drivers to always drive with care and observe all safety measures in order to avert such ugly situations on the road.
The chairman paid a condolence visit to the family of little Iquo Okon Edet Offiong, promising that he would follow up the matter to the letter.
He thanked the people of the community especially the youths for not taking the laws into their hands even at the highest provocation
He attributed most of the killings to the recklessness of the truck drivers whom he said are always overspeeding on a one-lane road
“These truck drivers are always running above speed limit such that if it happens, they always find it difficult to control and avert what would have been averted ordinarily,” he said.