UNN confirms death of four students during house party

The University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), in Enugu State has confirmed that four of its students died after a party held at a lodge in the Hill Top Area of Nsukka.

The Vice-Chancellor, Simon Ortuanya, confirmed the incident while addressing reporters at the university on Thursday.

The institution uploaded a video clip to its Facebook page showing the vice-chancellor addressing reporters.

PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported that the four students were found dead in the lodge on Wednesday.

While speaking to reporters, Mr Ortuanya, a professor, said university management received a distress call at about 10 p.m. on Wednesday that some current and former students of the institution were in “crisis”, prompting the institution’s security to act.

“Arriving at the scene, we discovered that there was a house party in a lodge called Praise Lord outside the university, precisely around the Hilltop Community in the periphery of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka campus.

“It was discovered that four patients died immediately. Six other patients are presently in hospital as they were rushed to hospitals, and they are receiving treatment at the moment,” he said, adding that some of the hospitalised patients were still in critical condition.

The vice-chancellor sympathised with families of the deceased.

“It is indeed tragic and painful. We mourn with the families, the parents who have suffered these years to train these young men and women in their studies,” he stated.

Reports said the students were among those who recently graduated from the institution and had organised the party as part of the sign-off events.

Mr Ortuanya neither provided the victims’ names nor confirmed their departments at the university.

The vice-chancellor only faulted sign-off ceremonies, saying the university already banned the exercise on all its campuses.

“As a community, we have always insisted that the sign-off ceremony is not really a desirable thing. We feel that graduation is a moment of introspection.

“A moment when these graduates will think deeply about the four, five

or the six years that they have spent in the university.

“And again preparing their minds about what they are going to face in the outside world,” he said.

“To that extent, we have always aligned ourselves that the sign-off ceremonies should not take place on our campuses.”

Mr Ortuanya emphasised that preliminary investigations were still ongoing and that the university management was collaborating with security operatives and other relevant bodies to establish the actual cause of the students’ deaths.

The vice-chancellor added that preliminary findings have linked the students’ deaths to drug and alcohol abuse.

“The preliminary investigation and interim report point to alleged alcohol abuse or drug paraphernalia and things like that. But we are not conclusive on those matters,” he stated.

Mr Ortuanya then declared a three-day mourning period at the university over the students’ deaths.

“Within these three days, all social and academic activities are hereby suspended.

“We will not hold any lectures, any social activities or ceremonies within these three days,” he added.

The vice-chancellor said the development has forced the university to cancel a scheduled town hall meeting on Friday between the institution and Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah.

“This town hall meeting will be held on a date to be announced later in the day.

“We want to thank Governor Mbah for his understanding and respect. We want to enjoin our community, the university community, to remain calm, to remain prayerful and to wait for the investigation and not to speculate because of that,” he said.