Students of the University of Cross River State (UNICROSS) have accused the federal government of politicising the long-delayed Calabar–Itu Road rehabilitation project, pressing fresh demands following a road crash that killed three of their colleagues.
PREMIUM TIMES had reported that a road crash along the Calabar–Itu Highway in Cross River State killed three UNICROSS students and a staff member after a bus conveying them collided with a container truck.
In a video circulating online, student leaders whose identities PREMIUM TIMES could not verify were seen addressing the Deputy Governor of Cross River, Peter Odey. The students called for accountability over the crash and urgent intervention on the deplorable road.
“The government should stop politicising the Calabar–Itu Road project. Get that road fixed for the safety of Nigerian students and other Nigerians,” one of the speakers said in the clip.
The students demanded that authorities identify the truck driver involved in the crash and the company he represents, and compel the firm to engage with the families of the deceased.
They also called for the rehabilitation of the General Hospital, Calabar.
They alleged that police seized and damaged some students’ mobile phones during the protest, and asked that the devices be repaired.
Another student leader, who narrated how the crash happened, blamed the poor condition of the Calabar–Itu Highway, saying the truck veered into the students’ vehicle while attempting to navigate a bad section of the road.
He also criticised emergency response and healthcare access in the area, stating that there was no functional hospital in Odukpani Local Government Area and that victims initially faced delays at the General Hospital in Calabar due to space constraints.
“The students that died were in their final year and would have graduated in three months,” he said, adding that the Students’ Union Government president was hospitalised, while the vice president had undergone brain surgery and remained in critical condition.
The Calabar–Itu Highway, which has been under rehabilitation since 2021, has remained in a deplorable condition, with commuters reporting frequent accidents and prolonged traffic congestion.
Travellers have repeatedly described the road as a death trap, with some forced to spend hours or even nights on the highway due to gridlock caused by its poor state. Others have opted to travel by the Oron-Calabar waterway where many have been kidnapped by pirates
In December 2025, the Minister of Works, David Umahi announced the termination of the contract for the Ekim-Odukpani section of the road project due to alleged poor performance by the contractor.
Mr Umahi said the contractor, Raycon Construction Company, failed to meet the terms and conditions of the contract.
Government reacts to protest
The latest crash along the highway occurred on 30 April, at the Ekim–Odukpani axis of the road, as the students were returning from a football match in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.
In a statement on Monday, the Office of the Deputy Governor of Cross River State said the protest began at the General Hospital, moved to Millennium Park, and later to the governor’s office.
The statement said the demonstration turned rowdy after a breakdown in leadership, leading to the vandalisation of government property.
Police subsequently dispersed the protesters with tear gas. “No one was shot,” the statement said, cautioning against misinformation.
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The government acknowledged concerns about healthcare facilities and the state of the Calabar–Itu Highway but said the disruption of public order should not be blamed on the state authorities.
According to the statement, the deputy governor, Mr Odey met with student representatives and assured them of government support, including assistance in transporting injured victims to hospitals and covering medical bills.
The statement explained that some victims were referred to the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital due to capacity constraints at the General Hospital, Calabar, not because the facility was ill-equipped.
The government also directed the state’s health commissioner to assess the hospital and address identified gaps.