Abuja – Several members of the Nigeria Union of Journalists survived death by a whisker when the vehicle they were travelling in caught fire while in motion.The incident occurred at the Cross River State.
The journalists were travelling to Abi local government area in the central senatorial district of the state near the homes of the state governor and the chief of staff to the governor.
They were in the region to monitor the weekend local government council elections where principal government functionaries trooped to exercise their right to elect leaders.
Among those in the vehicle belonging to the union were Nigeria Union of Journalists Cross River State Chairman, Ndoma Akpet, the vice chairman, Oka Ibor and the secretary Gill Nsa-Abasi and two others.
According Ibor, the bus had stopped to enable journalists to relieve themselves.
Later, the union secretary noticed that smoke was emitting from the left front tyre and before long fire had engulfed the entire bus.
Good Samaritans helped evacuate the scribes’ belongings from the bus, which government donated to the union last year.
Government officials, who were at the scene, sympathised with the journalists and assisted them with another vehicle to transport them.
– CAJ News
