Governor Peter Mbah moves to ban sign-out parties in Enugu after 4 UNN students die, 6 hospitalised

SUMMARY

• Four UNN students reportedly died after falling ill at an off-campus sign-out party in Nsukka, while six others were hospitalised.

• Police recovered alcoholic beverages at the scene and launched an investigation to establish the cause of the deaths.

• Governor Peter Mbah has ordered a probe and plans to work with tertiary institutions to enforce a ban on sign-out parties.

Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah has announced plans to ban sign-out parties across tertiary institutions in the state after four students of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), died during an off-campus gathering.

The governor said his administration would work with university authorities to enforce the restriction, describing excessive student celebrations as a growing source of concern for families and educational institutions.

Mbah also ordered a thorough investigation into the deaths, which occurred on Wednesday, November 11, 2026, at a lodge in the Hilltop area of Nsukka. Six other people reportedly fell ill during the gathering and were taken to different hospitals.

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In a statement issued on Thursday by his media aide, Mazi Uche Anichukwu, the governor expressed condolences to the families of the deceased and promised to establish what led to the tragedy.

He said the government would work with the university and security agencies to uncover the circumstances surrounding the deaths and prevent similar incidents.

The proposed ban is one of the immediate responses to an incident that has raised fresh concerns about how students celebrate the end of their academic programmes.

According to UNN Vice-Chancellor Professor Simon Ortuanya, the university received a distress call at about 10 p.m. on Wednesday concerning students and former students who had fallen ill at an off-campus gathering.

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University security personnel responded to the call and discovered the victims at the lodge. Four people had died, while six others required medical attention. Some of the survivors were reportedly in critical condition when the Vice-Chancellor addressed journalists on Thursday.

The Enugu State Police Command said preliminary information indicated that the victims became ill after allegedly consuming alcoholic beverages. Police spokesperson SP Daniel Ndukwe disclosed that officers recovered alcoholic drinks from the scene.

The bodies of the four deceased persons, comprising two males and two females, were deposited in a mortuary for autopsy.

However, neither the police nor the university has established the actual cause of death. Although UNN management raised concerns about possible alcohol and drug abuse, the Vice-Chancellor cautioned that the preliminary findings were not conclusive.

The incident also triggered confusion on social media, with some reports claiming that the deceased were students of UNN's Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences.

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The Pharmaceutical Association of Nigerian Students (PANS), UNN chapter, rejected the claim, saying none of the four victims was known to it as a pharmacy student. The association urged the public to stop circulating unverified information about the deaths.

Meanwhile, the university has declared three days of mourning and suspended academic and social activities in honour of the deceased.

Mbah's proposed intervention could extend restrictions on sign-out celebrations beyond UNN to other tertiary institutions in Enugu State. Sign-out parties are informal gatherings organised by students, particularly final-year students, to celebrate completing their examinations before leaving university.

Although UNN management said it had previously opposed sign-out ceremonies on its campus, the governor's announcement points to a wider restriction involving other institutions.

It is, however, unclear when the proposed ban will take effect, whether it will cover both public and private institutions or what penalties students and organisers could face for violating it. No detailed implementation guidelines have been announced.

The governor has also suspended a town hall meeting scheduled with the UNN community for Friday, November 13, following the deaths.