Ayade ordered immediate investigation to unravel how the motorist beat security barricades at the carnival to have access to the routes which were closed to the public.
By Jeffrey Agbo
Cross River State Governor Ben Ayade has ordered the arrest of the driver who rammed into a crowd of onlookers on Tuesday at the Calabar Carnival.
The accident claimed the lives of seven persons and injured 29 on the fifth day of the annual carnival.
Ayade expressed sadness over the incident in a statement made by his Special Adviser on media, Christian Ita.
The statement said that Ayade was devasted by the incident and directed security agencies to apprehend the motorist who is on the run.
While sympathising with the victims of the Calabar Carnival accident and their families, Ayade ordered immediate investigation to unravel how the motorist beat security barricades to have access to the routes which were closed to the public.
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Calabar Carnival: 7 dead, 29 injured as car rams into crowd
Ita said the governor also directed the immediate discontinuation of the bikers parade in honour of the victims of the accident.
While promising to ensure the culprit is arrested and brought to book, Ayade, however, sued for calm.
The Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Maikano Hassan, listed the number of injured to include 21 male adults, three women, two male children and three female children.
The annual Calabar Carnival which started during the administration of Donald Duke was last held two years ago.
The carnival was suspended in 2020 due to the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic while no reason was given in 2021.