CALABAR – The Traffic Management and Regulatory Agency (TRAMRA) is mourning the tragic loss of one of its personnel, Mr Akerete Okon, who was brutally killed on Monday morning while conducting routine traffic enforcement duties in Calabar, the Cross River State capital.
The fatal assault occurred at approximately 10:00 a.m. around the Marian Hills axis of Calabar, triggering widespread outrage within the state civil service and the local transportation sector.
Unprovoked Assault with a Screwdriver
According to official press briefings issued by TRAMRA Public Relations Officer, Ojie Gabriel Osang, and agency spokesperson, Bassey Okokon, the fallen officer was completely unarmed, dressed in full operational uniform, and discharging his lawful duties when he was attacked without provocation.
An altercation ensued during a routine traffic control check, during which a commercial mini-bus driver, later identified by law enforcement as Godwin Ukpai Okobo, viciously stabbed Mr Okon in the chest using a screwdriver.
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Despite desperate, immediate interventions by onlookers and colleagues to rush the critically injured officer to a nearby medical facility, he succumbed to the severe puncture wounds shortly after arrival.
The management of TRAMRA has strongly condemned the act of brutality, characterising the incident as an explicit assault on state law, public order, and the collective safety of everyday citizens.
The agency emphasised that no level of traffic disagreement or operational dispute justifies the deployment of lethal violence against state personnel who work daily to mitigate road accidents and regulate metropolitan transit networks.
State Police Command Launches Investigation
The Cross River State Police Command has officially stepped into the matter, confirming that formal processing of the crime scene and background profiling of the fleeing suspect have commenced.
The Police Public Relations Officer for the Cross River Command, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Sunday Eitokpah, assured members of the public that a thorough, impartial, and swift investigation will be executed to bring the perpetrator to book.
In the wake of the tragedy, TRAMRA has issued an urgent appeal to commercial drivers, commuter networks, and the leadership of various transport unions operating within Cross River State to actively reject violent resistance against traffic controllers.
The agency reminded road users that traffic regulatory staff are safety partners rather than adversaries.
They urged anyone possessing credible information regarding the whereabouts of the suspect, Godwin Ukpai Okobo, to immediately report to the nearest police station or contact the regulatory body via their verified digital clearinghouse on Facebook at CRS Traffic Management and Regulatory Agency.
