A survivor of the party at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, UNN, Enugu State, where four students died and six others were hospitalized, has described how he passed out while cleaning up after another attendee vomited during the gathering.
The 24-year-old survivor also revealed that it was his first time drinking alcohol, saying he regretted the experience and pledged never to drink again.
He spoke in an interview with Vanguard on Friday, recounting how he attended the gathering after a friend named David, who organized the party to celebrate finishing his examinations, invited him.
According to him, the party began at about 11.30pm in an apartment in the Hilltop area of Nsukka, with roughly 10 people present.
He said those present played truth or dare and shared two bottles of alcoholic drinks, Magic Moments and Best, which were poured into party cups in small amounts.
“My friend organized the party and invited me. He said I should come. Then, he brought Magic Moments and Best. We bought them and took them home.
“The party began around 11:30pm. We started playing games, truth or dare. It is just like a fun game where if you are told to say the truth, you say the truth about something, and if they dare you to do something, you do it,” he said.
The survivor stated that the game was solely for entertainment and that participants were not paid for taking part.
Describing how he collapsed, he said one of the male attendees vomited during the gathering, which led him to help the person clean up.
“At a point, one of the boys vomited, and I took him to the bathroom and told him to clean himself up. I brought out a rag to clean the curtain he vomited on.
“When I finished, I went to drop the bucket of water. I lost consciousness there,” he said.
He explained that the gathering happened in the parlor of a one-bedroom apartment, where the windows were closed and a fan was in use.
He said that although the apartment had an air conditioner, it was not turned on, and a generator was running outside the corridor, not far from where they were.
Regarding how much alcohol was consumed, he said the drinks were shared in small quantities because the group had only two bottles.
“It was a party cup. It was not up to a quarter of the party cup that we used. We took small quantities because we had only two bottles. If we were to serve it full, it would not have gone round,” he said.
Discussing his health, the survivor stated that he was recovering but still could not use his legs properly.
“Currently, I am getting better. It is just that my legs are still stiff. I cannot still use my legs,” he said.
He confirmed that he was receiving medical care and revealed that the university’s vice chancellor, along with some local government representatives and friends, had visited the affected students.
Recalling the incident, he said he was still finding it hard to come to terms with what happened, especially since he had never drunk alcohol before.
“I feel so numb because I never even thought of what would happen at first, because this is just the first time I am taking alcohol, and it has gotten me to this extent.
“So I am not really proud of it. But I know that this will be the last of it,” he said.
The survivor further stated that he was unable to determine whether the drinks had been contaminated and added that people had asked him repeatedly whether someone might have poisoned them.
He said the police also asked him whether he had any disagreement with anyone or suspected anyone of trying to harm him.
He said, however, that he told the officers he did not suspect anyone.
The incident, which took place at an off-campus gathering in the Hilltop area of Nsukka, resulted in the deaths of four students and the hospitalization of six others.
The Enugu State Police Command said the four deceased students, two males and two females, were confirmed dead on arrival at the hospital.
The police said alcoholic beverages were found at the scene and added that the remains of the deceased had been placed in a mortuary for autopsy while investigations continued to determine the circumstances of the incident.
The university later confirmed the deaths of four students and declared three days of mourning, during which academic and social activities were suspended.
