Four people, including three students and a staff member of the University of Cross River State (UNICROSS), died in a road accident on the Calabar–Itu Highway. The crash occurred on Friday night in Odukpani Local Government Area when a coaster bus carrying students returning from an official assignment in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, collided with a container truck. Governor Bassey Otu expressed grief in a Facebook statement on Sunday, calling the incident devastating and extending condolences to the victims' families and the university community. He described the deceased as promising individuals whose futures were cut short. Among the dead were Solomon Uya, Director of Sports in the Students' Union Government; Lucky Erim, a Chemistry student and faculty president; Favour Darlington from the Department of Educational Management; and staff member Anthony Arikpo, who was driving the bus. The university confirmed 24 students were involved in the crash, with survivors receiving treatment in hospitals. Police said investigations are ongoing to determine the cause and locate the truck driver, who fled the scene. Governor Otu stated his administration would continue to engage relevant authorities in response to the incident and prayed for the deceased and the injured.
The governor speaks of solidarity while the victims were returning from an official trip in a university vehicle that met a fatal end on a known highway. The deaths of student leaders and a staff member raise questions about institutional travel safety measures. If the state is truly sharing in this pain, then the conditions that made this journey deadly must be examined. Mournful words are not enough when the details of the crash remain unresolved.
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