A resident of Aba, the commercial hub of Abia State, identified as Mr Destiny Uguru, met his untimely on Wednesday when a heavy advertising billboard fell on a tricycle where he was taking shelter from a rainfall.
The incident, which happened around the popular Aba Salad Market junction on the Aba-Owerri Road, also injured eight other people who are currently hospitalised,
Our correspondent learnt that the deceased, who was an indigene of Izzi, Ebonyi State, left behind a heavily pregnant widow. One of his relatives, Mr Chinedu Nwaibo, who witnessed the tragic incident, said the tragedy occurred during a downpour that came with a heavy wind. He said, “When the rain came with wind on Wednesday, I and my kinsmen (community men) had to take refuge in his small shanty shop, not knowing that a tragedy was closer to them.
“I went into my small shanty with my brothers when the rain started. We were seven inside the shop when the heavy wind and rain got stronger. “They complained that my shanty wasn’t a comfortable place for them to take refuge, that they preferred staying inside their tricycles near the fallen billboard.
I refused to go into the tricycles with them. It wasn’t up to a long time, the billboard fell and injured seven people and killed one person.” He said the deceased’s corpse had been deposited in a mortuary.
Nwaibo further pleaded with the Abia State Government to come to the help of his kinsmen, who were only out in the streets, struggling to make ends meet. “I beg the government to please come and help us. Let them help my brothers, who are victims of this tragedy. They were only out here to make ends meet.
“They never knew that such a tragedy awaited them. The dead guy, Destiny Uguru, had two children and his wife is heavily pregnant. He was a young man of just 27 years old.” The MD/CEO Abia State Structures for Signage and Advertising Agency, Mrs Victoria Onwubiko, said the incident brought a sad experience to the state.
