The University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), has confirmed the death of four students following an off-campus gathering in the Hilltop area of Nsukka, Enugu State, and declared three days of mourning in their honour.
The university’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Simon Ortuanya, disclosed this on Thursday, November 12, 2026, while addressing journalists about the incident, which occurred on Wednesday night.
According to the Vice-Chancellor, 10 students from different departments attended the gathering, organised to celebrate a friend who had completed his final-year examinations. Four of the students died, while the remaining six were taken to different hospitals for medical treatment.
Ortuanya said the students reportedly consumed substances suspected to be alcohol and drugs before the incident. However, 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”, the Vice-Chancellor expressed the university management’s condolences to the families, friends and colleagues of the deceased.
He announced that all social and academic activities would be suspended for three days as part of the mourning period. A town hall meeting earlier scheduled between the university community and the Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah, was also suspended.
The university further clarified that the students involved came from different departments, dismissing earlier reports that all the victims were students of the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences.
The clarification followed a statement by the Pharmaceutical Association of Nigerian Students, UNN chapter, which had earlier rejected claims that seven Pharmacy students died in the incident. The association said its representatives visited the hospital where the bodies were deposited but could not identify any of the deceased as Pharmacy students.
Meanwhile, the Enugu State Police Command has commenced an investigation into the incident. Police spokesperson, Daniel Ndukwe, said alcoholic beverages were recovered from the scene and that the bodies had been deposited in a mortuary for autopsy.
The police said six other people were taken to hospital for treatment, while investigations were ongoing to determine the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
The incident has generated concern within the university community, particularly following the circulation of videos showing several people lying motionless inside the off-campus lodge.
UNN management reiterated its ban on sign-out celebrations, urging students to avoid activities that could endanger their lives. It also called for restraint against spreading unverified information while investigations continue.
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