The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), Professor Simon Ortuanya, has confirmed that four persons died following an off-campus house party in the Hilltop area of Nsukka, Enugu State, amid allegations that substances suspected to be alcohol and hard drugs were consumed at the gathering.
The university management also disclosed that six other attendees were hospitalised and were receiving medical attention at different health facilities following the incident.
Ortuanya made the disclosure on Thursday, November 12, 2026, while addressing journalists over the tragic development, which has thrown the university community into mourning.
According to the Vice-Chancellor, 10 students participated in the party organised to celebrate a friend who had completed his final-year examinations.
He explained that the university received a distress call at approximately 10 p.m. on Wednesday, November 11, informing it that some students and graduates were experiencing a medical emergency at an off-campus lodge in the Hilltop community.
The university immediately deployed its security personnel to the location, where four persons were found dead, while six others were rushed to hospitals for treatment.
Ortuanya described the incident as tragic, expressing condolences to the families, friends and colleagues of the deceased.
He also clarified that the individuals involved came from different academic departments, dismissing widespread reports that all the victims were students of the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences.
Police Begin Investigation, Recover Alcoholic Drinks
Meanwhile, the Enugu State Police Command has commenced an investigation to establish the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
The Police Public Relations Officer, SP Daniel Ndukwe, disclosed that the four victims, comprising two males and two females, reportedly took ill after allegedly consuming alcoholic beverages during the gathering.
According to the police, six other attendees were taken to hospital, while the four deceased persons were confirmed dead on arrival.
The police further disclosed that alcoholic beverages were recovered from the scene and that the remains of the deceased had been deposited in a mortuary for autopsy.
The command said investigations were ongoing to determine the actual cause of death, adding that further information would be made available as the investigation progressed.
UNN Declares Three Days of Mourning
Following the tragedy, the university management declared three days of mourning in honour of the deceased.
During the mourning period, all academic and social activities within the institution were suspended.
The Vice-Chancellor described the incident as “a death too many” and extended the university’s condolences to the bereaved families.
The management also suspended a scheduled town hall meeting between the university community and Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah.
Ortuanya reiterated the university’s ban on sign-out celebrations, warning students against engaging in activities that could endanger their lives.
He added that the institution was cooperating with relevant security agencies to unravel the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Pharmacy Students’ Association Disowns Earlier Reports
Earlier reports circulating on social media had suggested that several Pharmacy graduates were among those who died at the party.
However, the President of the UNN chapter of the Pharmaceutical Association of Nigerian Students, Onah Olisaemeka, and its Secretary, Obasi Chibuike, dismissed claims that the deceased were Pharmacy students.
The association said its representatives visited Faith Foundation Hospital, where the bodies of four victims had been deposited, but could not identify any of them as members of the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences.
The student leaders urged members of the university community and the public to avoid spreading unverified information about the incident.
As investigations continue, the university community remains in mourning, while the families of the deceased await further information about the circumstances surrounding the tragedy.