An elderly woman, identified as Mrs Affiong Peters, slumped and died while travelling in a commercial bus in Calabar, the Cross River State capital, on Saturday night.

The cause of her death was not immediately known, although some passengers speculated that she may have been under stress or had an underlying medical condition.

The Cross River State Police Command confirmed the incident in a statement issued on Sunday by its spokesperson, ASP Sunday Eitokpah.

According to the statement, the incident occurred at about 11:30 p.m. when the driver of a commercial minibus, Mr John Okon John, reported at Atakpa Police Station that one of his passengers had become unresponsive.

The police spokesman said the driver had picked up eight passengers from the popular Watt Market Roundabout in Calabar 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.

He said, “The Cross River State Police Command confirms the unfortunate death of a female passenger, Mrs Affiong Peters, following a medical emergency that occurred on the night of Saturday, July 11, 2026, in Calabar.

“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.”

Eitokpah said the deceased’s family had been identified and informed 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,” he added. (Sunday PUNCH, excluding headline)

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