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•Culprit in our custody — CP Balarabe

•Ayade visits victims, pays hospital bills

By Ike Uchechukwu, CALABAR

Some survivors of Tuesday’s tragic incident which claimed the lives of at least eight persons with more than 25 persons injured during the Bikers parade at the ongoing Calabar Carnival have narrated their ordeal.

Speaking exclusively with Vanguard, the survivors said they can’t give accounts of what happened as they only found themselves in the hospital this morning (Wednesday) and in severe pain with various degrees of injuries.

Meanwhile, the Sector Commander FRSC Cross River state Command, Mikano Hassan, confirmed that the death toll has increased from seven to eight.

One of the survivors, 14-year-old Abdulsalam Kutama, a tailoring trainee at Bogobiri, told Vanguard at their 23 Goldie street apartment, that he only came out from the shop to catch a glimpse of the entertainment by the bikers before he landed at Navy Reference Hospital.

Abdulsalam, who was discharged yesterday, said he saw the car when it was coming, but it was just like a flash and he was knocked down before passing out.

“I saw the car coming, I remembered I was on the ground all of a sudden, that was the last thing I could remember until my father came for me at the hospital.

“I’m still in shock because when I regained consciousness I saw a lot of injured persons, some may never walk again, but I don’t think anything will ever make me go near the carnival route, I have so much fear inside me.

“I won’t even allow any of my siblings or friends go there, and I want to tell the organisers to come up with better ideas as it concerns barricades, as I came back home, many were taken to the mortuary and some now have permanent disabilities,” he decried.

25-year-old, Ibrahim Musa, said he was knocked down while making his way into the Mosque, he was not a spectator at all, he was only going to pray before the unfortunate incident occurred.

“I don’t have interest in the Carnival, I was only going to the Mosque to pray, as I was about to enter the mosque, all I could remember was the shout by onlookers, as I was knocked down, I lost consciousness, till I woke up at Navy hospital.

“I can’t lie to you, I’m still in fear, my body is still shivering because of the trauma, but I know I will be fine,” he said.

When contacted on Wednesday, the Cross River state Commissioner of Police, CP Sule Balarabe, told Vanguard on the telephone that the suspect who drove the Toyota Camry with number plate DUK 505 PE which caused the accident was now in their custody.

“We have arrested the suspect, and he is in our custody already, he is receiving treatment at an undisclosed facility, and he is been monitored also, we want to make sure he is completely stable, to carry out further investigations,” CP Balarabe said.

Vanguard also observed that many of the victims whose injuries were not so serious have been discharged while others were still receiving treatment at the Navy Reference Hospital.

Meanwhile, Cross River state governor, Prof. Ben Ayade, yesterday, visited the Navy Reference Hospital, Calabar to empathize with victims.

The Governor also visited Bogobiri, the scene of the accident, to commiserate with the Hausa/Fulani community led by Seriki Garuba Lawan.

Speaking at the Navy hospital, Ayade described the incident as a sad learning curve that will never be allowed to happen again.

According to him “we are here at the Nigerian Navy Reference Hospital Calabar to show governments concern to victims of the Bikers’ parade car accident. We are here to take the bills and show compassion.

“What happened was a learning curve, it speaks to the fact that all road barricades for the carnival must be respected.

“This is the first time we have had an incident of this nature and I can assure you that it won’t happen again. With all sense of grief, with all sense of melancholy, we submit to the will of God.”

“Moving forward every arm of the security agencies will be fully deployed and the barricades fully policed.”

The governor vowed that any motorist who flouts the rules or breaks the barricades will have him or herself to blame.