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The University of Nigeria Nsukka confirmed on November 12, 2026, that four students died after an off-campus post-exam party the previous day, prompting the vice-chancellor to declare three days of mourning across the institution. Prof. Simon Ortuanya, who addressed journalists on campus, said 10 students had attended the celebration for a friend who completed final examinations, with four succumbing after consuming suspected alcohol and drugs. Six others were receiving treatment at different hospitals, according to the university’s statement posted on its Facebook page. The vice-chancellor suspended all academic and social activities during the mourning period and canceled a planned town hall meeting with Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah.
Ortuanya described the incident as a death too many while extending condolences to the families, friends and colleagues of the deceased. The university clarified that the students came from different departments rather than one specific faculty, countering initial reports that linked them all to pharmaceutical sciences, according to a statement from the UNN chapter of the Pharmaceutical Association of Nigerian Students. In that statement the association’s president Onah Olisaemeka said after visiting the mortuary that he did not recognize any of the victims as pharmacy students. The institution reiterated its ban on sign-out celebrations and called on students to treat graduation as a time for reflection instead of reckless activities.
Enugu State Police Command said in a statement that it had launched a full investigation into the deaths at the End in Praise Lodge in the Hilltop area of Nsukka. Police Public Relations Officer SP Daniel Ndukwe reported that the four victims, consisting of two males and two females, took ill during the gathering on November 11 and were confirmed dead on arrival at hospital. Alcoholic beverages were recovered from the scene, with the remains deposited in a mortuary pending autopsy results to establish the exact cause. The command added that the six surviving students received medical attention as inquiries continued.
A 24-year-old Art Education student who survived the party recounted to Tribune Online that the group consumed only two bottles of alcoholic drinks named Magic Moment and Best while playing Truth or Dare starting around 11:30 a.m. The survivor said one participant began vomiting, after which he lost consciousness and awoke around 9 p.m. to find the others motionless on the floor. He insisted no drugs or smoking occurred during the event and suggested poor ventilation from a running generator in a closed room may have played a role, though officials have not confirmed any cause.
Research published in the Journal of Medicine and Biomedical Research on students at the University of Benin found a lifetime prevalence of substance use at 44.4 percent with recent use reaching 68.1 percent despite high awareness levels. Tribune Online reported that Nnamdi Azikiwe University recently banned final-year students from holding academic sign-out events on its main campus due to concerns over unhealthy practices. A separate study in BMC Public Health placed psychoactive drug use prevalence among tertiary students in Rivers State at 7.7 percent with alcohol and marijuana as the leading substances, according to its authors. These figures underscore patterns that have led multiple institutions to tighten restrictions on post-examination gatherings.
Daily Trust reported that Ortuanya emphasized the university’s cooperation with security agencies to determine the full circumstances surrounding the four deaths. Six students remained at various stages of recovery in hospital as of November 12, according to reports in TheCable. The incident occurred just one day after final examinations for some participants, highlighting tensions between celebration and safety on and around campuses. Further details are expected once the autopsy and police investigation conclude.
