Tragedy struck in Rivers State on Wednesday as two female students sitting the ongoing West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) and a commercial motorcyclist lost their lives in a road accident along the Choba Bridge section of the East–West Road in Port Harcourt.
The victims were reportedly returning home after writing their examination when the motorcycles conveying them collided with a moving truck near the busy Choba Bridge axis in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area.
Eyewitnesses said the students had just completed their WAEC papers at Odoha Community Secondary School in Emohua Local Government Area before embarking on the journey home.
A source familiar with the incident disclosed that the crash claimed the lives of three people, including the two female candidates and an okada rider.
“The students were coming back from Odoha Community Secondary School in Emohua after writing the WAEC examination. Three people died in the accident — two female students and one commercial motorcyclist,” the source said.
Another witness noted that the examination centre was located about 30 minutes from the scene of the accident, adding that Choba, where the crash occurred, is home to the University of Port Harcourt.
Several other passengers sustained varying degrees of injuries and were rushed to the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital for medical treatment.
Operatives from the Choba Divisional Police Headquarters were deployed to the area to manage traffic and maintain order following the incident.
A video circulating on social media showed the victims lying on the road after the collision, drawing widespread concern and condolences from the public.
As of the time of filing this report, the Rivers State Police Command and the Federal Road Safety Corps had yet to issue official statements on the crash.
