KEY POINTS
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NAFDAC is testing medications administered to corps member Etimbuk Daniel before his death.
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Doctors reportedly suspected acute kidney injury linked to severe dehydration and shock.
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The Senate has ordered an investigation into NYSC camp medical services nationwide.
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, has launched an investigation into the death of National Youth Service Corps member Etimbuk Daniel at the Awgu Orientation Camp in Enugu State, collecting samples of medications administered to him for laboratory testing.
The investigation follows allegations that Daniel died from the effects of substandard or falsified medicines. However, NAFDAC said the cause of death had not been established through its investigation and that laboratory analysis of the drugs was ongoing.
In a statement issued on Sunday by its Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, the agency said its officers had visited the camp clinic, interviewed medical personnel and other staff, and collected medication samples for analysis.
NAFDAC also challenged reports linking Daniel’s death to fake or substandard drugs, saying preliminary information pointed to a medical emergency involving severe illness, low blood pressure and suspected acute kidney injury.
Corps member initially treated for suspected severe malaria
According to NAFDAC, Daniel was taken to the camp clinic by two fellow corps members at about 9pm on Wednesday, October 7, 2026, with symptoms suggestive of severe malaria. The agency also said he had a known history of peptic ulcer disease.
Medical personnel reportedly stabilised him with an intramuscular antimalarial drug and other supportive medications administered intravenously. He was then placed on bed rest for observation and discharged the following morning with oral medications.
NAFDAC said Daniel returned to the clinic without assistance on Saturday, October 10, complaining of pain in his right thigh.
He was reportedly advised to see a physiotherapist. However, his profuse sweating prompted the attending doctor to check his blood pressure, which was found to be critically low at 80/40mmHg.
Condition deteriorated despite treatment
The agency said medical personnel administered intravenous normal saline to stabilise Daniel and monitored his condition.
However, repeated episodes of low blood pressure and poor urine output continued despite fluid replacement, prompting the doctors to refer him to the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Ituku-Ozalla, in Enugu State.
He was transported in an ambulance accompanied by another doctor.
According to NAFDAC, Daniel fell into a coma around the time he arrived at the teaching hospital. Efforts to resuscitate him were unsuccessful.
The agency added that the camp clinic doctor was later informed by one of Daniel’s friends that the corps member had been vomiting for two days following his initial admission. The doctor was reportedly unaware of the vomiting before the information was provided.
NAFDAC said the doctors suspected that Daniel died from acute kidney injury associated with severe dehydration and shock. This was the medical explanation reported by the agency, rather than a final conclusion from its ongoing drug investigation.
NAFDAC examines medications used at camp
NAFDAC said the medications administered to Daniel had also been given to other patients at the camp who recovered after treatment.
The agency further stated that doctors, pharmacists and other healthcare workers at the clinic had prescribed or used the same medications at different times.
However, these details do not establish whether the drugs administered to Daniel were safe or whether they contributed to his death. The agency said laboratory testing and further investigation would be necessary to establish the facts.
Its officers have collected samples of the medications and interviewed healthcare personnel and other camp workers as part of the inquiry.
As of the time of the report, NAFDAC had not announced any laboratory findings or a definitive conclusion about the cause of Daniel’s death.
Senate orders wider investigation into NYSC medical care
Daniel’s death has also prompted action by the Nigerian Senate, which ordered an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Anietie Ekong, media aide to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, said the decision followed a motion of urgent public importance moved by Senator Aniekan Bassey, who represents Akwa Ibom North-East.
The senator called for a review of medical services in NYSC orientation camps across the country.
The proposed review is expected to bring attention to the availability of medical personnel, the handling of emergencies and the quality of healthcare provided to corps members during orientation exercises.
Daniel was the immediate past president of the Students’ Union Government of Akwa Ibom State University.
The outcome of the NAFDAC investigation and the Senate’s inquiry could help clarify the circumstances of his death and identify any shortcomings in the medical care provided at the camp.
