
There was a heavy police presence on Calabar Carnival route on Wednesday following an accident that claimed seven lives and left several injured during the bikers’ parade on Tuesday.
A driver had breached the barricade and plowed into the crowd of spectators, killing several in the process.
To prevent a similar situation, teams of policemen were deployed every 50 metres along the 12-kilometre carnival route.
They were seen at Mary Slessor Avenue where the accident occurred on Tuesday. They were also seen at Marian road, MCC and Murtala Muhammad highway.
Meanwhile, Cross River state Governor, Ben Ayade, visited the Navy Reference Hospital, Calabar to empathise with victims of the bikers’ parade accident and pay their hospital bills.
The governor also visited Bogobiri, the scene of the accident, to commiserate with the Hausa/Fulani community led by Seriki Garuba Lawan.
At the Navy hospital, Ayade described the incident as “a sad learning curve that will never be allowed to happen again.”