• Suspends planned town hall meeting with UNN community
•Four students reportedly dead, six hospitalised after off-campus celebration
•Calls for public enlightenment on dangers of drug abuse
Sunday Ehigiator
Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah, has ordered a thorough investigation into the deaths of four students of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), reportedly following an off-campus sign-out party, while calling for a ban on sign-out celebrations in tertiary institutions.
The governor also suspended his scheduled town hall meeting with the UNN community slated for Friday, November 13, 2026, as a mark of respect for the deceased.
Mbah’s position was contained in a statement issued on Thursday by his media aide, Mazi Uche Anichukwu.
The governor described the incident, which also reportedly left six other students hospitalised, as a heartbreaking loss to the affected families, the university and Enugu State.
He said the deaths of the students in their prime had deprived their families and the state of promising futures.
“I received with rude shock and deep sense of loss the news of the off-campus sign-out party leading to the death of four students of the University of Nigeria Nsukka, and hospitalisation of six others,” he said.
Mbah expressed sympathy with the families of the deceased, particularly their parents, who made sacrifices to sponsor their children’s university education.
“Our hearts go out to their parents in particular, who sacrificed personal comforts to sponsor their children through the university, but only to face this sad turn of events,” he added.
The governor said his administration had ordered a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident, promising to work with the university authorities and security agencies to establish the cause of the deaths and prevent a recurrence.
He also announced plans to collaborate with authorities of tertiary institutions to enforce a ban on sign-out parties and other excessive celebrations, which he said had resulted in avoidable deaths and sorrow in families and higher institutions.
“Going forward, we will work with the authorities of tertiary institutions to enforce a full ban on sign-out parties and other excessive celebrations, a trend that has cost more lives and brought more sorrows than joy to families and higher institutions of learning,” he said.
Mbah further called on relevant government agencies and educational institutions to intensify public enlightenment campaigns on the dangers and consequences of drug use and abuse.
He prayed for the peaceful repose of the souls of the deceased and strength for their families, friends and the entire UNN community to bear the loss.