The University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) has announced a three-day mourning period after four students died at an off-campus party in Nsukka.
The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Simon Ortuanya, made this known on Thursday while speaking to journalists in Nsukka, noting that 10 students attended the party held on November 11, 2026, to celebrate a friend who had finished his final-year examinations.
He said four of the students died after reportedly taking substances believed to be alcohol and drugs, while the other six were being treated in different hospitals.
As part of efforts to honor the deceased, the university management declared three days of mourning, during which all academic and social activities would be put on hold.
“Within these three days, all social and academic activities will be suspended in the university,” Ortuanya said.
He also announced that a town hall meeting earlier scheduled between the university community and the Enugu State Governor had been postponed.
Calling the incident “a death too many,” the vice-chancellor extended the university’s condolences to the families, friends, and colleagues of the deceased students.
“The management, staff, and students of the University of Nigeria share in their grief at this difficult moment and pray for the repose of the souls of the departed,” he said.
Ortuanya clarified that the students involved in the incident came from various departments, and he dismissed reports claiming that all the victims were students of the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences.
He also reiterated the university’s ban on all forms of sign-out celebrations, urging students to steer clear of activities that could endanger their lives.
The vice-chancellor further stated that the university was collaborating with security agencies to uncover the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
