Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
A journey that began as an official assignment for student leaders of the University of Cross River State (UNICROSS) ended in unimaginable grief on Friday night, 1 May 2026, when a coaster bus carrying 24 students and a staff member collided head‑on with a container truck along the Calabar–Itu Highway. By the time emergency responders arrived at the scene in the Ikot Okon area of Odukpani Local Government Area, four lives had been extinguished, and 21 others lay injured, many of them critically. The dead were identified as three students – including the Director of Sports of the Students’ Union Government and the President of the Faculty of Physical Sciences Students’ Association – and Mr. Anthony Arikpo, the university driver who behind the steering wheel at the time of the crash. The truck driver, however, had vanished into the night, prompting a police manhunt that continues as of Saturday evening.
The accident occurred at about 9:25 p.m. along a notoriously dangerous stretch of the highway that has claimed dozens of lives in recent years. According to the Cross River State Police Command, the coaster bus was returning from an official assignment in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, when a container truck veered off its lane and crashed into the bus. The impact was so severe that two victims died instantly at the scene, while two others, including the driver, succumbed to their injuries while being rushed to the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH). The truck driver fled on foot and has not been apprehended. “Efforts are ongoing to identify and locate him as investigations continue,” said ASP Sunday Akata, the police spokesperson.
The UNICROSS community was plunged into mourning on Saturday as the university’s Public Relations Officer, Onen Ebri Onen, released a statement confirming the identities of the deceased. “Comrade Solomon Uya, Director of Sports of the Students’ Union Government; Comrade Lucky Erim of the Department of Chemistry and President of the Faculty of Physical Sciences Students’ Association; Comrade Favour Darlington of the Department of Educational Management; and Mr. Anthony Arikpo, the driver of the vehicle and a staff member of the institution, have tragically passed away,” the statement read. The university noted that 24 students, mostly members of the Students’ Union Government executive, were involved in the accident. Survivors are currently receiving treatment at the UCTH and other hospitals in Calabar.
The Vice‑Chancellor of UNICROSS, Professor Francisca Bassey, who visited the injured students on Friday night and stayed with them until the early hours of Saturday, expressed deep shock at the tragedy. “Their visit was to express solidarity and to ensure that all necessary medical attention is being provided,” the university statement said. “The Vice‑Chancellor has extended heartfelt condolences to the families of the deceased and has reassured the injured students of the university’s unwavering support and commitment to their full recovery.” The institution also announced that the entire UNICROSS community would observe a period of mourning, with flags flown at half‑mast.
The Cross River State Government also reacted with sorrow. The Commissioner for Education, Professor Stephen Odey, described the loss as “heartbreaking and a painful loss to the education sector”. “The untimely death of three promising students and a staff member has cast a shadow of grief across the state,” he said. “The loss is not only to the university community but to the entire state, as the victims represented a bright future now tragically cut short.” The Police Command, in its statement, noted that one victim died on the spot, while another later succumbed in the hospital. The injured were evacuated to the UCTH, where many are still receiving emergency care. The police also confirmed that normal traffic flow has been restored after clearance operations.
The crash has once again drawn attention to the deplorable state of the Calabar–Itu Highway, a road that the federal government has been reconstructing since 2021 but which remains riddled with potholes, poor lighting, and dangerous curves. Travellers have repeatedly described the route as a “death trap”. The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) attributed the accident to overspeeding and the truck driver’s loss of control, but many believe that the road’s poor maintenance has made such collisions inevitable. “The road is a nightmare,” said a regular commuter who declined to be named. “You have container trucks speeding recklessly, and at night you can’t see the potholes. It’s a recipe for disaster.”
The Students’ Union Government of the University of Calabar (UNICAL) issued a solidarity statement expressing its shock over the death of fellow student leaders. “Lives full of promise have been suddenly cut short,” the statement said. “We stand with the UNICROSS community in this moment of profound grief.” Meanwhile, the Association of Nigerian Students (ANS) has called on the federal and state governments to expedite the reconstruction of the highway and to install speed governors on all commercial vehicles, including container trucks. “How many more students must die before the government acts?” the association’s president asked.
For the families of the deceased, the loss is immeasurable. Solomon Uya, a passionate sports administrator, had been a key figure in the university’s recent athletic successes. Lucky Erim was widely respected as a brilliant student and a unifying leader. Favour Darlington was known for her quiet dedication to her studies and her community. And Mr. Anthony Arikpo, the driver, had spent years shuttling students safely across the state, always with a gentle smile. “He was more than a driver; he was a father figure to us,” one of the survivors, who is still hospitalised, said through tears. “He would always say, ‘Don’t worry, I will get you there safely.’”
As the police continue their search for the truck driver, the medical bills of the injured students are mounting. The university has pledged to cover the costs of treatment, but many families are already struggling. The Cross River State Government has not yet announced any compensation package. In the meantime, the entire UNICROSS community is left to grapple with an agonising question: why must the pursuit of knowledge, which should be a journey of hope, so often be a journey of risk on Nigeria’s broken roads? The remains of the four victims have been deposited at the UCTH morgue, awaiting release to their families for burial. The 21 injured survivors are fighting for their lives, their limbs, and their futures. And on the Calabar–Itu Highway, the container trucks continue to speed, and the potholes continue to grow.
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