By Tony Nyong
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
UYO—An expatriate working for one of the multinational companies in Akwa Ibom State is currently being detained for allegedly raping a 12-year-old girl.
This comes as another expatriate working with Julius Berger Plc also allegedly crushed a man and his wife to death, after he lost control of his vehicle, veered off the road, fell some electric poles and plunged into a ditch.
It was learnt that the family of the girl that was raped chose to settle out of court in the interest of the future of the girl.
On the killing of the couple,the expatriate, (names withheld) who is supervising the ongoing project at Government House Uyo, the state capital, is alleged to have gone behind the wheels under the heavy influence of alcohol as early as 6.15a.m.
Before veering off his lane, he was said to have run over the two bread winners who were returning home on their motor cycle, killing the husband on the spot, while the wife later gave up the ghost in the hospital.
The expatriate staff, who sustained serious injuries, Vanguard gathered, was quickly rescued from the Hilux Pickup Van with registration number XL 352 ABJ and pool number B3920, while the victims were left bleeding profusely for almost one hour before angry eye witnesses forced another Julius Berger driver who was at the scene to move the bodies to the hospital.
An eye witness said the woman would have survived if she had been\ rushed to the hospital at the time the accident took place, pleading that government should provide such services, since most times accident victims were left in pain for long hours by the members of the public for fear of being arrested by the police when they attempt to render rescue services..
The company Public Relations Officer in Uyo, Mrs. Ndifreke Ukochio, said they could only rely on police report since the incident was merely an accident, adding that she did not know the name of the expatriate staff that killed the couple.
Mrs. Ukochio said she made a brief stop while going to work at the scene of the incident, only to discover that it was one of their expatriate staff that was involved.
When Vanguard contacted the ‘B’ division of Ewet Housing Police Station, it was discovered that the deceased was a constable who had just returned from the police Corporal Course. It was also discovered that while the police went to the hospital where the expatriate was rushed after the accident, he had been moved out and flown to Abuja where the company’s hospital is located.
