Peter Odey survives crash in Ugep as a convoy vehicle hits three barriers, injuring staff and damaging vehicles on the return journey to Calabar
Cross River State Deputy Governor, Rt. Hon. Dr Peter Agbe Odey, survived a convoy accident in Ugep, Yakurr Local Government Area, Cross River State, on Sunday, August 9, 2026, as a Government House press bus reportedly left its lane and struck three sandbag barriers while the deputy governor’s entourage was returning to Calabar from Obanliku Local Government Area.
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The accident occurred at about 2pm near an Army checkpoint in Ugep, according to the report. The circumstances surrounding the loss of control were not immediately established, while officials had yet to issue a detailed account of the incident.
Odey’s condition was not independently confirmed at the time of reporting. Members of the convoy, however, were reportedly injured, with one person said to have suffered a leg injury and another observed bleeding from the nose.
The extent of those injuries remained unclear pending medical assessment. Several vehicles were also reportedly damaged, although the precise number and severity of the damage could not be independently verified.
The convoy was returning from Obanliku, where Odey and other government officials had attended a stakeholders’ engagement concerning the proposed concession of the Obudu Ranch Resort.
The resort has become an important part of Governor Bassey Edet Otu’s tourism and investment agenda.
The state government has been pursuing its revitalisation after ending a previous concession arrangement, with officials presenting the facility as a potential driver of tourism, investment and economic diversification.
The journey also followed a period of renewed official attention to the resort. In July, Odey represented Governor Otu during engagements with foreign defence advisers and defence attachés visiting Obudu, where Cross River officials promoted the area’s tourism potential and wider investment prospects.
The latest crash has nevertheless raised a more immediate concern about the safety of vehicles assigned to the Office of the Deputy Governor.
According to the initial report, the incident was the third accident involving Odey’s convoy within two months.
The report also raised questions about the availability and condition of vehicles attached directly to the deputy governor’s office, saying the fleet had become depleted and vehicles from the governor’s convoy were sometimes being used for official movements.
Those claims could not be independently established from the additional sources reviewed.
The Office of the Deputy Governor declined to comment when contacted, leaving important questions about the cause of the crash, the condition of those injured and the state of the vehicles unanswered as of publication.
The incident comes against a wider backdrop of road-safety concerns in Cross River. In May 2025, Odey visited survivors of a separate fatal road accident involving tourists returning from the Obudu area.
That crash killed six people and injured seven others, according to contemporary reporting.
During the hospital visit, Odey assured victims of government support and called for stronger attention to safety along tourism corridors.
Odey’s public responsibilities have also included handling sensitive state matters beyond tourism.
As Chairman of the Cross River State Boundary Committee, he has recently urged the National Boundary Commission to intensify boundary demarcation efforts to reduce recurring disputes and strengthen peaceful coexistence.
Governor Otu has previously relied on Odey to oversee state affairs during periods when the governor was away.
In March 2025, for example, the state government announced that Odey would act on Otu’s behalf during the governor’s three-week annual leave.
For now, the most immediate issue is the welfare of those caught up in Sunday’s collision. While reports indicate that Odey survived the incident, official confirmation of his condition and a fuller account of the injuries and vehicle damage are still awaited.
Any investigation into the crash is likely to be closely watched, particularly if the reported pattern of repeated convoy accidents is confirmed.
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The condition and suitability of government vehicles, driver safety and the arrangements for official road travel could all come under scrutiny as authorities establish what happened in Ugep.
