A graduate of Biology and serving corps member, Roland Moses, speaks to ALEXANDER OKERE about how he survived a crash and another potential one on December 23, 2022 while travelling from Enugu to Akwa Ibom State
Please, introduce yourself.
My name is Roland Moses. I am from Akwa Ibom State. I am a corps member serving in Kogi State. I studied Biology at Ritman University, a private university in Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State. I love teaching and would like to become a lecturer. I would love to obtain a master’s degree.
You made a post on Facebook stating that you survived a crash on Enugu Road on December 15, 2022. Where were you going on that day?
I was coming from Enugu (State) (and travelling) to Akwa Ibom State. I just wanted to come home and rest before returning for service. There was no vehicle to take me from Kogi to Akwa Ibom, so I had to get to Enugu first. When I arrived in Enugu State, I boarded a bus. The driver addressed us well. He said we would get to Akwa Ibom in five or six hours. He also told us that we might be stopped at checkpoints.
As we were moving along Enugu Road, I didn’t know what really happened. I knew the driver was not drunk; he was normal. As we were moving, there was a vehicle, a truck, in front of us and another one behind us. I was talking to someone on the phone and as soon as I ended the call, I decided to relax. But I saw that the driver was approaching the vehicle in front. I remember that the passenger beside him told him to apply the brakes. I didn’t know whether the brakes failed but all I heard was, “Jesus! Jesus!” Suddenly, our bus hit the vehicle in front.
What happened after that?
Everybody came out except one man that sat in front. I think the shattered windscreen must have injured him. Later, a vehicle coming from Abuja got to where we were and the driver offered to give us a lift to Abia State. He took us to Abia State and I boarded another vehicle belonging to the same company. When I bought my ticket, I asked the driver about the condition of the vehicle and he said everything was okay. He said he was about to move and was even waiting for a few passengers.
On our way to Akwa Ibom, I noticed that the man was struggling with the brakes and I and a few other passengers told him to drive slowly but the man did not say anything. He told us not to teach him how to drive the vehicle but I told him that I experienced a crash a few hours earlier and had the right to tell him to drive carefully. He managed to control the vehicle and came out of it and told us the brakes failed. I was shocked. The another vehicle from the same bus company! It was not my first time travelling with the bus company, so I was really surprised! I just gave thanks to God.
Did the passenger who sat beside the driver before the accident survive the crash?
I was not myself at that point (when the crash occurred). I only saw he was bleeding and assumed that he would have been injured by the shattered windscreen. If you check the vehicle in the picture, you will notice that the passenger’s seat in front was damaged. I think he had a minor injury.
What did the driver of the vehicle that took you from Enugu say shortly after the crash?
When the accident happened, I thought the vehicle would erupt in flames, so I stayed away from it and tried to call my family members to inform them about it. As soon as the driver came out, he tried to check whether the passenger who sat close to him was okay. The passenger was okay but was taken to a hospital. The driver did not have the time to address the passengers.
What did the management of the bus company tell you and other passengers when you arrived in Akwa Ibom?
I did not get to the park. I alighted at Ikot Ekpene.
What did your parents say when you informed them?
My mother was shocked. I heard her crying in the background and that made me teary because I thought, “If I had died, how would my parents have felt?” I had to send a picture of the vehicle after the crash to them and they were surprised. I was amazed. As soon as I came out of the vehicle, I knew God had a better plan for me.
Some of your friends, perhaps, did not know about the accident until they saw your post on social media. What kind of reaction did you get from them?
I got a lot of calls; even people I did not know called me to congratulate me. My phone went off because the battery was drained by the number of calls I got. I made the post in the morning and in the evening, I saw that blogs had picked it and reposted it.
Have you ever had a similar experience in the past?
No. The funny thing is that I saw that vehicle and everything as it happened.
Do you mean you foresaw the accident?
Even before I stepped out that day, I had a dream that something would happen. I wanted to stay back (in Kogi) but thought about what I needed to do. I will give testimony in my church.
