The University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), has declared three days of mourning following the death of four of its students after an off-campus house party in Nsukka, Enugu State.
- Vice-Chancellor Prof. Simon Ortuanya said 10 students took part in the party on Wednesday, November 11; four died and six are receiving treatment
- All social and academic activities are suspended for the three days of mourning
- The students were from different departments — not all Pharmacy students, as widely reported
What the vice-chancellor said
Addressing journalists in Nsukka on Thursday, Prof. Ortuanya said the party was organised to celebrate a friend who had completed his final-year examinations.
He said four of the students died after allegedly consuming substances suspected to be alcohol and drugs, while the remaining six were receiving medical attention at various hospitals.
“Within these three days, all social and academic activities will be suspended in the university,” Ortuanya said. Describing the incident as “a death too many”, he extended the university’s condolences to the families, friends and colleagues of the deceased.
UNN corrects the Pharmacy claim
Ortuanya clarified that the students involved were from different departments, contrary to widespread reports that they were all students of the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences.
That matches the Pharmaceutical Association of Nigerian Students (PANS), UNN chapter, which said earlier on Thursday that no Pharmacy student had been confirmed among the victims. Social-media reports had put the death toll at six or seven; the vice-chancellor’s briefing is the first official confirmation, and it fixes the toll at four.
What happens next
The vice-chancellor said the university is cooperating with security agencies to establish the circumstances surrounding the deaths. He reiterated UNN’s ban on all forms of sign-out celebrations and urged students to desist from activities that could endanger their lives.
UNN also suspended a town hall meeting earlier scheduled between the university community and the Enugu State Governor. The identities of the deceased students have not been officially released. NTN will update this story as more details are confirmed.
The Enugu State Police Command has now opened an investigation into the deaths. In a statement on Thursday, the Command's spokesman, SP Daniel Ndukwe, said alcoholic beverages were recovered from the scene and the remains of the deceased have been deposited in a mortuary for autopsy. 'The Command is investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident to establish the cause of the deaths. Further updates will be communicated as the investigation progresses,' Ndukwe said.
Sources: The Sun (vice-chancellor's briefing in Nsukka); Premium Times; Punch.
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