No fewer than 25 soldiers from the 13 Brigade of the Nigerian Army in Calabar, Cross River State are in critical conditions after they were involved in a road accident in the state on Friday night.
Eyewitnesses said a truck conveying the soldiers was speeding and the driver was suspected to be under the influence of alcohol.
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Etim Akpan, an eyewitness, said five female officers were seriously injured.
“Many of them had their heads smashed. Several others had varying degrees of iinjury.
“It was raining and we saw that the army truck was on top speed. It could not slow down at the speed breaker point.
“So it hit the speed breaker, jumped and smashed a Sienna bus which was kept for sale. They fell into a big gutter.
“We had to help evacuate them. They have been taken to a navy hospital in Calabar,” the eyewitness said.
It was learnt that the soldiers were heading for Ogoja.
One Dr Oyi of the accident and emergency unit at the navy hospital confirmed that the soldiers were brought to the hospital but said that two had been moved to the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital.
An army Captain, H. I. Audu, at the hospital, said the emergency situation was being attended to. He did not speak further to our correspondent due to the situation.
Mr John Eluu, the owner of the Sienna bus crushed by the truck, said the bus was for sale and appealed to the military authorities to replace it.
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