- Suspends scheduled town hall meeting with varsity community
Enugu State governor, Peter Mbah, has expressed deep grief over the passing of four students of the University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN), who reportedly died during an off-campus signing-out party in honour of one of their friends, describing it as a heartbreaking loss.
Mbah described the incident as a grievous loss, not only for the deceased’s immediate families and UNN, but to Enugu State as a whole, and called for a ban on signing-out menace among undergraduates, noting that it has brought too many sorrows to families and tertiary educational institutions in the country.
The governor’s remarks were conveyed in a statement by his media aide, Mazi Uche Anichukwu, which was issued on Thursday.
“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.
“This is a grievous loss not only to the immediate families of the deceased and the university, but also to us as a state. Losing them in their prime and along with their promising future cuts as deeply as a sharp knife. We, therefore, share in this grief and pray God to grant their families, friends, and the UNN community the equanimity to bear the heartbreaking loss.
“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.
“As a government, we have ordered a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding their deaths and will work closely with the university authorities and security agencies to get to the roots of the sad development and forestall a recurrence.
“In the meantime, I have suspended my scheduled town hall meeting with the UNN community on Friday, November 13, 2026, as we join the university in mourning the dead.
“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,” the governor was quoted as saying.
Mbah also called for more enlightenment campaigns by relevant agencies and institutions on the consequences of drug use and abuse.
He prayed for the peaceful repose of the souls of the deceased.