A young commercial motorcyclist was reportedly killed by a falling tree on Abak Road, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, on Thursday, raising concerns over the management of aged and potentially dangerous trees along major roads in the state capital.
The incident occurred opposite the Cultural Centre during heavy rainfall in the early hours of Thursday.
Witnesses told PREMIUM TIMES that the motorcyclist, who was reportedly on his way to begin his daily business, was struck by the tree at about 7 a.m.
Videos reviewed by PREMIUM TIMES also showed a man lying lifeless by a fallen tree with a motorcycle by the side.
However, the police gave a more cautious account of the incident, saying their officers found a fallen tree and information suggesting that a motorcyclist had been injured, but that neither the victim nor the motorcycle was at the scene.
The police spokeswoman in Akwa Ibom, Timfon John, a deputy superintendent of police, when contacted by PREMIUM TIMES, said patrol operatives observed the fallen tree at about 9:30 a.m.
“The Command is aware of the incident. On 13 August, at about 9:30 a.m., patrol operatives observed a fallen tree obstructing part of Abak Road by the Cultural Centre, Uyo,” John said.
“Preliminary information indicated that an unidentified motorcyclist rode into the fallen tree and sustained injuries. However, the victim and motorcycle were not found at the scene.”
But witnesses who spoke with PREMIUM TIMES at the scene said the motorcyclist had died and that police operatives removed the body at about 9 a.m.
By the time PREMIUM TIMES visited the location later in the afternoon, the body was no longer there.
Two men were seen using pruning machines to cut the fallen tree into smaller pieces while a police officer directed traffic around the obstruction.
The men told PREMIUM TIMES that the police had engaged them to clear the tree from the road.
Decaying tree
PREMIUM TIMES observed visible signs of decay around the trunk of the fallen tree, raising questions about whether its condition could have been identified before it collapsed.
A nearby tree also showed signs of ageing and early decay.
The incident occurred amid heavy rainfall, but witnesses said there was no strong wind when the tree fell.
The condition of the tree is particularly noteworthy because several roads in Uyo have mature trees with long branches extending over roadways and pedestrian areas.
PREMIUM TIMES observed similarly aged trees along parts of Abak Road, Idoro Road, Stadium Road, and Aka Nung Udoe Road.
Mfon Udeme, a resident of Abak Road, who spoke with PREMIUM TIMES at the scene, said the incident should prompt authorities to take the management of roadside trees more seriously.
“This unfortunate incident is also a reminder for relevant authorities to inspect and properly manage trees along major roads, particularly during periods of heavy rainfall and storms, to help prevent avoidable tragedies,” Mr Udeme said.
A journalist, Esio Godspeed, also raised concerns on his Facebook page about the condition of trees along some major roads in the city.
“What makes this particularly painful is that this may not be an isolated concern. Some trees along our major roads have become dangerously overgrown, with heavy or weak branches hanging over roads and pedestrian routes,” he wrote.
He called for urgent inspection and trimming of dangerous trees, particularly along Abak, Atiku, Idoro and Stadium roads.
“A tree should never become a death trap,” Godspeed said.
The government budgeted for tree management
The incident has also brought scrutiny to the state government’s spending plans for forestry and tree-management equipment.
Under the Ministry of Environment, the 2026 approved budget provides ₦400 million for the purchase of forestry equipment, including three clearing/ploughing tractors, three tree-pruning/felling tractors and two pruning machines.
The allocation suggests that the government recognises the need for equipment capable of managing trees and vegetation.
But the history of the provision raises questions about implementation.
In the 2025 approved budget, ₦200 million was allocated for forestry equipment, including equipment for pruning and felling trees. The provision, however, was removed in the 2025 revised budget.
It remains unclear whether the ₦400 million provision in the 2026 budget has been released and whether the equipment has been procured and deployed.
A senior official of the Ministry of Environment, who asked not to be named because he was not authorised to speak on the matter, said the ministry had repeatedly sought funding to address dangerous trees in Uyo.
“We are simply helpless. We have several times asked for the funding to prune trees within Uyo metropolis and uproot aged ones and plant new ones, but the governor has not released money for it,” the official said.
The official added that the ministry could not independently undertake the work without funding.
“If money were released for the equipment or to get someone to prune those trees, that man would never have died. So, do not blame us. Blame the governor,” the official said.
Oil-rich Akwa Ibom State is not a state gasping for funds.
PREMIUM TIMES reported weeks ago that the administration of Governor Umo Eno has received ₦2.934 trillion in revenue over 38 months.
Who is responsible?
The incident raises questions about whether the government of Akwa Ibom State has identified and managed trees that pose risks to road users in Uyo and whether there is a systematic assessment of roadside trees.
After several unanswered calls, PREMIUM TIMES sent a media enquiry to the Akwa Ibom Commissioner for Environment, Nsikak Ekong, via WhatsApp, seeking clarification on whether the ministry was aware of the fallen tree’s condition, whether it had been previously inspected or assessed, and what measures were in place to identify dangerous trees.
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The newspaper also asked the ministry to clarify why the ₦200 million provision for forestry equipment in the 2025 budget was removed during the budget revision and whether the ₦400 million provided in the 2026 budget had been released, with the equipment procured and deployed.
The ministry was further asked whether it maintains an inventory or risk assessment of aged, decaying or overhanging trees along major roads and what immediate measures it would take following Thursday’s incident.
The questions also sought to determine whether the government would undertake a citywide safety audit of roadside trees, particularly along Abak, Atiku, Idoro, and Stadium roads. Despite reading the message since Thursday evening, Ekong has neither acknowledged it nor responded.
The incident has raised a question that goes beyond the fate of one tree: whether Uyo’s roadside trees are being treated as public infrastructure requiring routine inspection and maintenance, or whether authorities intervene only after a tree has fallen, obstructed a road, or caused injury.
For residents and road users, Thursday’s incident has highlighted the consequences of leaving potentially hazardous trees unattended.
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