The Cross River State Police Command has denied reports alleging that its operatives shot at student protesters of the University of Cross River State during a demonstration in Calabar, describing the circulating video as misleading and inaccurate.
In a statement issued on Monday, the Cross River Police Public Relations Officer, Eitokpah Akata, said the Command had reviewed the incident and found no evidence to support claims that live ammunition was used on protesters.
“The Command wishes to state unequivocally that the circulating narrative is incorrect and does not represent the verified sequence of events as observed and documented by security operatives deployed to the scene,” the statement partly read.
The protest, according to the police, was triggered by the death of three students in a road accident that occurred on May 1 at Ikot Okon, New Okurikang Junction in Odukpani Local Government Area.
The Command disclosed that it had received intelligence ahead of the protest and deployed officers, including the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations, to monitor the situation and prevent a breakdown of law and order.
“At about 0900hrs on 4th May 2026, the Command received credible intelligence of a planned student protest and promptly deployed the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Department of Operations, alongside other police personnel, to ensure public safety, maintain law and order, and prevent any breakdown of peace,” the statement added.
Akata said the protest began peacefully, with officers engaging student leaders and appealing for calm, but later turned violent at some points during the procession.
“On arrival, police personnel engaged student leaders in dialogue and appealed for calm and orderly conduct. The protest initially commenced peacefully before it later degenerated into violence,” Akata stated.
The Command maintained that no firearms were used throughout the protest.
“The Command states categorically that no protester was shot, no protester was targeted with firearms, and at no time were live rounds discharged by police operatives during the entire incident,” he said.
It, however, alleged that some protesters vandalised public infrastructure at the General Hospital, including an ambulance and other facilities, prompting a controlled response by security operatives.
“However, upon reaching the General Hospital, some aggrieved protesters became violent and vandalised public infrastructure, including an ambulance, windows, signposts, and other hospital facilities.
“Police operatives responded with restraint and adopted lawful, non-lethal crowd management procedures aimed strictly at de-escalating tension and restoring order while preventing further destruction of public property,” he said.
The situation reportedly escalated further when protesters moved to the Government House and attempted to force entry into the premises.
“The procession later moved to the Government House, where some protesters became increasingly aggressive and attempted to force entry into the premises, thereby posing a serious threat to public safety and critical government infrastructure,” Akata stated.
According to the command, officers deployed non-lethal measures, including smoke canisters, to disperse the crowd and restore order.
“In response, security personnel deployed minimal, lawful, and non-lethal crowd-control measures, including the deployment of smoke canisters as a controlled, non-lethal dispersal measure into the air to safely disperse the crowd. The measure was applied strictly to prevent a breach of security and restore order in line with standard public order policing procedures.”
The Command further stressed that no fatalities were recorded during the protest and that no deaths resulted from police action.
“The Command further reiterates that no fatalities were recorded during the protest, and no death occurred as a result of police action,” Akata noted.
Normalcy was said to have been restored after intervention by government officials, including the Special Adviser on Security, followed by a meeting between student representatives and the Deputy Governor, Peter Odey.
The police urged the public to disregard what it described as false and inflammatory content capable of inciting tension.
Online had reported that Governor Bassey Otu expressed grief over the incident, describing it as devastating and a major loss to the state. In a statement, the governor said the tragedy had plunged Cross River into mourning and extended condolences to the families of the victims and the university community.