The University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), has confirmed the death of four students following an off-campus house party in Nsukka, Enugu State, while six others are receiving medical treatment at different hospitals.
The tragic incident occurred on Wednesday, November 11, 2026, at a lodge in the Hilltop area of the university community, where students had gathered to celebrate a friend who had completed his final-year examinations.
The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Simon Ortuanya, confirmed the development on Thursday, November 12, while addressing journalists, describing the incident as a painful loss to the university community.
According to the Vice-Chancellor, the university received a distress call at about 10pm on Wednesday that some of its current students and graduates were experiencing a crisis at an off-campus lodge.
He said the university immediately deployed its security personnel to the location, where four persons were found dead, while six others were rushed to hospitals for treatment.
Ortuanya disclosed that preliminary findings had raised concerns about possible alcohol abuse and the presence of suspected drug-related substances or paraphernalia at the gathering. However, he stressed that the investigation was still ongoing and that the university had not reached a conclusive determination of the actual cause of the deaths.
The institution is working with relevant security agencies, particularly the police, to establish what happened and determine the circumstances that led to the deaths and hospitalisation of the other participants.
The Vice-Chancellor also clarified that the students involved came from different departments of the university, dismissing reports suggesting that all the victims were students of the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences.
Earlier reports had circulated claims that Pharmacy students were among those who died. However, the Pharmaceutical Association of Nigerian Students, UNN chapter, had rejected the claim, stating that it could not identify the victims as members of its department or association.
In response to the tragedy, the university management declared three days of mourning in honour of the deceased students.
During the mourning period, all academic and social activities, including lectures and ceremonies, have been suspended across the institution.
The university also postponed a town hall meeting earlier scheduled between the university community and Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah, with a new date to be announced.
Ortuanya expressed condolences to the families, friends and colleagues of the deceased, acknowledging the pain of parents and relatives who had invested years in the education and upbringing of the students.
He urged members of the university community to remain calm, prayerful and avoid spreading unverified information while investigations continue.
The Vice-Chancellor further reiterated the university’s position against sign-out celebrations, maintaining that the completion of academic programmes should be a period of reflection and preparation for life beyond the university rather than an occasion for activities that could put students at risk.
The incident has raised fresh concerns about student safety during off-campus gatherings and the dangers associated with the misuse of alcohol and other substances.
The university said it would continue to cooperate with security agencies to uncover the full circumstances surrounding the tragedy.
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