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UNN confirmed four students died after an off-campus gathering in Nsukka.
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Six other students are receiving treatment after reportedly consuming suspected alcohol and drugs.
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The university declared three days of mourning and suspended academic and social activities.
The University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), has confirmed that four students died after attending an off-campus gathering in the university community.
Vice-Chancellor, Professor Simon Ortuanya, announced the deaths on Thursday, November 12, and said six other students who attended the gathering were receiving treatment at different hospitals.
According to the university, 10 students from different departments attended the party, which was organised to celebrate a friend who had completed his final-year examinations. The four victims reportedly died after consuming substances suspected to be alcohol and drugs.
The incident occurred at an off-campus lodge in the Hilltop area of Nsukka. Videos circulating on social media showed several people lying motionless inside a room.
University declares three days of mourning
Following the incident, the university management declared three days of mourning in honour of the deceased students.
During the period, all academic and social activities on campus will be suspended.
Ortuanya described the incident as “a death too many” and expressed condolences to the families of the victims.
The university also clarified that the students involved came from different departments, dismissing reports that all the deceased were members of the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences.
The Pharmaceutical Association of Nigerian Students, UNN chapter, had earlier disputed claims that seven Pharmacy students died during the gathering.
Its president, Onah Olisaemeka, said he visited Faith Foundation Hospital, where the bodies of four victims, two males and two females, were deposited. He added that he could not identify any of them as a Pharmacy student.
Security agencies investigating incident
The university said it was working with security agencies to establish the actual cause of the deaths.
Management also reiterated its ban on sign-out celebrations, urging students to mark the completion of their studies through reflection rather than excessive partying.
The university further suspended a planned town hall meeting between members of its community and the Enugu State Governor.
