A tragic incident marred the early activities of the Imo Awka Festival in Awka, Anambra State, as a masquerade was crushed to death by a tricycle (Keke NAPEP) on Sunday.
According to eyewitness accounts, the fatal accident occurred while the masquerade was moving along the road as part of the festival procession. The tricycle reportedly hit the performer and fatally crushed his head.
The tricycle operator was immediately apprehended by onlookers and handed over to the authorities.
“One masquerade was hit by a Keke NAPEP on Sunday, and his head was crushed. It was indeed a sad development,” an eyewitness recounted.
The Imo Awka Festival, which attracts visitors from within and outside Nigeria, is set to officially begin on May 19 and climax on May 24.
In past celebrations, the police implemented measures to control movement during the festival, but it is unclear if those measures are still in place this year.
The festival typically lasts about a week, with masquerades taking to the streets to entertain crowds in the days leading up to the main event. Previous editions have witnessed incidents of fatalities, raising questions about the safety of the celebrations.