UNN Declares Three Days of Mourning After Four Students Die at Off-Campus Party

The management of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), has declared three days of mourning following the death of four students at an off-campus house party in Nsukka, Enugu State.

The tragic incident, which occurred on November 11, 2026, reportedly involved 10 students who had gathered to celebrate one of their friends after completing his final-year examinations.

Addressing journalists on Thursday, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Simon Ortuanya, disclosed that four of the students died after allegedly consuming substances suspected to be alcohol and illicit drugs, while the remaining six are receiving medical attention at different stages of recovery in hospitals.

In response to the tragedy, the university management declared three days of mourning, during which all social and academic activities would be suspended.

“Within these three days, all social and academic activities will be suspended in the University,” Ortuanya said.

He also announced the suspension of a town hall meeting earlier scheduled to hold between the university community and the Governor of Enugu State.

Describing the incident as “a death too many,” the Vice-Chancellor expressed deep 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 also dismissed reports suggesting that all the students involved in the incident were from the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, clarifying that they belonged to different departments across the university.

Reiterating the university’s existing ban on sign-out celebrations, the Vice-Chancellor urged students to desist from activities that could expose them to danger or threaten their lives.

He further disclosed that the university was working with security agencies to establish the actual circumstances surrounding the deaths.

The management said it would continue to monitor the condition of the surviving students as investigations into the incident progress.