The University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), has declared three days of mourning following the deaths of four students after an off-campus gathering, with six others receiving treatment in hospitals.
Vice-Chancellor Prof. Simon Ortuanya announced the decision in a statement published on the university’s Facebook page on Thursday. He said all social and academic activities would be suspended during the mourning period.
The gathering involved 10 students from different departments who met at an off-campus lodge in the Hilltop area of Nsukka to celebrate a friend who had completed final-year examinations.
The four students reportedly died after consuming substances suspected to be alcohol and drugs. The university said it was working with security agencies to establish the actual cause of the deaths.
Describing the incident as “a death too many,” Ortuanya expressed condolences to the families of the deceased on behalf of the university’s management, staff and students.
The university also dismissed reports that all the students involved were from the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, clarifying that they came from different departments.
The Pharmaceutical Association of Nigerian Students, UNN chapter, had earlier rejected reports that seven Pharmacy students died in the incident.
The association’s president, Onah Olisaemeka, said he visited Faith Foundation Hospital, where the bodies of four people — two males and two females — had been deposited. He said he did not recognise any of the deceased as a Pharmacy student.
The university reiterated its ban on sign-out celebrations, urging students to mark the completion of their studies with reflection rather than excessive festivities.
Management also suspended a planned town hall meeting between the university community and the Enugu State Governor.
