The Cross River State Police Command has denied reports that security operatives opened fire on protesting students in Calabar.
The protest involved students of the University of Cross River State, who took to the streets over alleged poor treatment of colleagues injured in a recent road accident.
The incident followed a fatal crash along the Calabar–Itu highway in the Odukpani axis, where a truck collided with a vehicle conveying students returning from Uyo.
Four students reportedly died at the scene, while others sustained injuries and were taken to hospitals in Calabar.
Protesting students claimed that the injured victims were not receiving adequate medical care, including food and proper attention.
Angered by the situation, some students stormed the General Hospital on Mary Slessor Road, vandalising property and damaging vehicles and equipment.
Eyewitness accounts suggested there was tension during the protest, with claims of gunfire and reports of casualties.
However, the Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Eitokpah Sunday Akata, dismissed reports of any student being shot.
He stated that officers only fired warning shots into the air to control the crowd as the protest turned violent.
Security presence was heightened across key areas, with mobile police units and soldiers deployed to maintain order.
Meanwhile, the Commissioner for Health, Dr Henry Egbe Ayuk, also addressed the situation, rejecting claims that the injured students were abandoned.
He said emergency response teams acted promptly and coordinated efforts to stabilise victims.
According to him, critically injured students were transferred to the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital for advanced care.
Ayuk emphasised that all deaths recorded occurred at the accident scene and not due to delayed treatment.
He described contrary claims circulating online as misleading and urged the public to avoid spreading misinformation.
The situation has sparked debate over healthcare response, student welfare, and crisis management in the state.
