Tuesday, November 11, 2025 - The Abia State government has paid over N20 million in compensation to victims of a billboard collapse in Aba on May 28, 2025.
The incident involved the collapse of a privately owned
billboard, resulting in the death of a cyclist and injuries to other
tricyclists and shop owners around the Salad Market in Aba.
The payment, made to nine individuals through the Abia State
Signage and Advertising Agency, ABSAA, saw the wife of the deceased cyclist
receive a total of N9.6 million, other tricyclists N1.6 million each, and shop
owners N500,000 each.
Speaking at the handing over of the bank cheques at
Government House, Umuahia, the Senior Special Assistant to Governor Alex Otti
on Transportation, Obioma Nwaogbe, said the state government decided to
compensate the victims, even though the collapsed structure belonged to a
private company.
He explained that the government, in collaboration with
ABSAA and the billboard owners, had worked out modalities to help victims
return to normal business, including the widow of the deceased.
“There are about five tricycle owners, so each of them will
have N1.6 million. And then the old tricycle will be retrieved and handed over
to them. Then the two men whose shops were affected will be given N500,000
each. And then the wife of the deceased, Chioma Destiny, will be given N8
million to put her back somehow so that she can use it to start her life or do
some investment,” Nwaogbe said.
The widow, Mrs Chioma Destiny, thanked Governor Alex Otti
for giving her the sum of N9.6 million, stating that she would invest the money
in business and use it to train her children.
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