13.11.2026 18:20
Four university students, two of them women, reportedly fell ill after drinking alcohol at a party held in Nsukka, Nigeria, to celebrate the end of final exams, and died. The university declared three days of mourning and banned all parties.
Four university students who attended a party held to celebrate the end of final exams in Nsukka, in southeastern Nigeria, lost their lives.
The cause of death has not yet been confirmed. Police spokesperson Daniel Ndukwe said it was reported that two male and two female students became ill after drinking alcohol at the party.
'PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION POINTS TO ALCOHOL AND DRUG USE
Professor Simon Ortuanya, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, stated that they received a call for help at 22:00 on Wednesday and sent security personnel to a house in the Hilltop area off campus where a party was being held. Ortuanya said, 'The preliminary investigation and interim report point to alcohol or drug use, but we have not reached a definitive conclusion on these matters,' and described the deaths as 'tragic and painful.'
THREE DAYS OF MOURNING DECLARED, CELEBRATIONS BANNED
The university declared three days of mourning; academic and social activities were suspended during this period. The Vice-Chancellor also banned the 'sign-out' celebrations held by final-year students to celebrate finishing school, where students dance, take photos, and sign each other's shirts.
The police have launched an investigation. Alcoholic beverages were seized at the scene, and the bodies were taken to the morgue for autopsy.
The tragedy coincides with a period of widespread operations in Nigeria against fake and adulterated alcoholic drinks. In September, dozens of people were poisoned in Ondo State in the southwest of the country after consuming locally made drinks and herbal mixtures, and more than 11 people died in the Araromi-Obu area. Investigations revealed that some drinks had been contaminated with methanol, which can cause blindness and death.
The country's food and drug regulatory agency, NAFDAC, reported more than 150 cases, including 48 confirmed deaths, and announced that five people had lost their sight.
Source: BBC