…declares three-day mourning
Vice-Chancellor of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Professor Simon Ortuanya, has confirmed the death of four persons, including students and graduates of the institution, following a party at a lodge in the Hilltop area of Nsukka, Enugu State.
Ortuanya disclosed this while addressing journalists on Thursday, saying six other persons were hospitalised, with some of them in critical condition.
He said the university received a distress call at about 10pm on Wednesday, November 11, that some of its students and graduates were involved in an incident at a house party.
He said the university’s security personnel immediately moved to the scene at Praise Lodge, located in the Hilltop community, outside the university’s Nsukka campus.
The Vice-Chancellor said, “On arriving at the scene, we discovered that there was a house party in a lodge called Praise Lodge outside the university, precisely around the Hilltop community in the periphery of University of Nigeria Nsukka Campus.
“It was discovered that four persons died immediately. Six other persons are presently in hospital, as they were rushed to hospitals, and they are receiving treatment at the moment.”
Ortuanya described the incident as tragic, expressing condolences to the families and friends of the deceased.
He said the university was cooperating with security agencies, particularly the police, to establish the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
The Vice-Chancellor, however, cautioned against speculation, noting that preliminary investigations had reportedly pointed to alleged alcohol abuse and drug-related substances at the party, but that the university had yet to reach a definitive conclusion.
He also reiterated the institution’s ban on sign-out celebrations across its campuses, including Nsukka, Enugu and Ituku-Ozalla, describing graduation as a period for reflection rather than excessive celebrations.
Meanwhile, Ortuanya declared three days of mourning across the university community over the incident.
He announced that all academic and social activities, including lectures and ceremonies, would be suspended during the mourning period.
The Vice-Chancellor also disclosed that the town hall meeting scheduled for Friday, November 13, between the university community and Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah, had been postponed to a date to be announced later.
He appealed to members of the university community to remain calm and prayerful while awaiting the outcome of investigations.
The Vice-Chancellor stressed that 10 persons were involved in the house party, with four confirmed dead and the remaining six receiving medical attention, some in critical condition.
