From Aniekan Aniekan, Calabar The Cross River State Governor, Bassey Otu, has expressed profound grief over the tragic road accident involving students and a staff member of the University of Cross River State (UNICROSS). The governor described the heartbreaking incident as a devastating loss that has plunged Cross River State into collective mourning and left an immeasurable void in the hearts of its people. The Governor, in a press release signed by his Chief Press Secretary and Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Linus Obogo, stated that the state received the tragic news “with hearts shattered by grief, unspeakable anguish, and profound sorrow”, noting that the painful accident has “cast a dark pall over our state and plunged our collective spirit into mourning.” Governor Otu described the deceased as “precious sons and daughters of Cross River—young lives full of courage, leadership, and promise—whose journeys ended far too soon.” He said the state grieves deeply with “parents whose beloved children left home with hope in their eyes but will never return”, as well as with siblings, friends, and colleagues now left with “memories drenched in tears and sorrow”. He also acknowledged the profound pain being borne by the entire UNICROSS community, noting that the institution’s “halls of learning now stand heavy with silence, grief, and unbearable absence”. Governor Otu added that “no words can heal such deep wounds”. Still, he expressed faith that “Almighty God, in His infinite mercy, will comfort every broken heart, strengthen every weary soul, and grant eternal rest to the departed.” Three students of UNICROSS, alongside their driver, died on Friday night when a container truck rammed into their vehicle along the Calabar–Itu Highway.