The management of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), has confirmed the deaths of four students following a party held at an off-campus residence in Nsukka, Enugu State.
The university has subsequently announced three days of mourning, during which academic and social activities across the institution will be suspended in honour of the deceased students.
Vice-Chancellor, Professor Simon Ortuanya, disclosed the development while addressing journalists in Nsukka on Thursday, November 12, 2026.
According to the Vice-Chancellor, the incident occurred on Wednesday, November 11, during a private gathering organised by students to celebrate a colleague who had completed his final-year examinations.
Ten UNN students were reportedly involved in the incident. Four died, while the remaining six were receiving medical attention at different stages of recovery in hospitals.
Ortuanya said preliminary information suggested that the students had consumed substances suspected to include alcohol and drugs. However, the actual cause of the deaths has yet to be established.
He stressed that the university was working with relevant security agencies to determine exactly what happened.
In response to the tragedy, the university declared a three-day mourning period and ordered the suspension of academic and social activities throughout the institution during that period.
The decision also affected a town hall meeting that had been scheduled between the university community and the Enugu State Governor. The Vice-Chancellor announced that the meeting had been postponed following the loss of the students.
Ortuanya described the incident as a painful loss for the university and extended condolences to the families, friends and fellow students of those who died.
He also clarified that the students involved came from different academic departments, dismissing speculation that all those affected belonged to the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences.
The Vice-Chancellor further reminded students of the university’s existing prohibition on sign-out celebrations, urging them to avoid gatherings and activities that could expose them to serious health and safety risks.
The incident has renewed concerns about student safety, substance misuse and the risks associated with off-campus social gatherings in Nigerian universities.
As investigations continue, the university says it is cooperating with security agencies to establish the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
The identities of the deceased students and the final findings of the investigation were not provided in the university’s announcement as reported by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
