Following a two-week closure of the University of Cross River State (UNICROSS), three students have tragically died in an auto crash while traveling home. The closure, which began on July 30, 2024, was intended to prevent students from participating in the nationwide hunger protest scheduled for August 1, 2024.
The accident occurred yesterday afternoon on the Calabar-Ikom highway, near Ikom in the central part of Cross River State. The victims were traveling to Ogoja, in the northern part of the state, on a popular mass transport bus when the crash happened.
According to a source, Ndoma Akunobor, who was also on the bus, the deceased students were enrolled in the Departments of Microbiology and Plant Science and Biotechnology. Their identities have not yet been confirmed.
The UNICROSS management had announced the closure of the institution for the two-week period in a circular (No. 433) to keep students away from the planned protest. The closure was part of efforts to ensure the safety of students amid rising tensions related to the protest.
