An elderly woman, identified as Mrs Affiong Peters, died after collapsing while travelling in a commercial bus in Calabar, the Cross River State capital, on Saturday night.
The cause of her death has not been established, although some passengers speculated that she may have suffered a medical condition or stress-related emergency.
The Cross River State Police Command confirmed the incident in a statement issued on Sunday by its spokesperson, ASP Sunday Eitokpah.
According to the police, the incident occurred at about 11:30 p.m. after the driver of a commercial minibus, Mr John Okon John, reported at Atakpa Police Station that one of his passengers had become unresponsive during the journey.
The driver had reportedly picked up eight passengers from the Watt Market Roundabout and was heading towards the Edgerly–Mbukpa–Afukam axis when the incident occurred along Edgerly Road, off William George, in Calabar South Local Government Area.
Eitokpah said the woman became unresponsive after attempting to alight from the vehicle.
“In the course of making room for the passenger to disembark, Mrs Affiong Peters stepped out of the vehicle. She suddenly sat on the ground, became unresponsive, and was unable to speak.
“Concerned passengers immediately assisted in returning her to the vehicle, and she was promptly taken to the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH), Calabar, for emergency medical attention. Regrettably, she was later confirmed dead by medical personnel,” the statement read.
The police spokesperson said the deceased’s family had been identified and notified of the incident.
“The deceased’s family has since been identified and duly informed. They are currently making arrangements for the preservation of her remains,” Eitokpah added.
