A graduation celebration at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), has reportedly ended in tragedy, with six newly graduated Pharmacy students said to have lost their lives at an off-campus party in Enugu State.
The incident occurred on Wednesday night at Hilltop, a residential neighbourhood outside the university campus, where the graduates had assembled for a sign-out party to celebrate the completion of their academic programmes.
The celebration, which the students had earlier showcased through photographs and videos on social media, reportedly took a tragic turn under circumstances that remain unclear.
Eyewitnesses said several bottles of unidentified alcoholic bitters, some empty and others partially consumed, were recovered from the apartment. Other substances suspected to be hard drugs, including what was believed to be ice (crystal methamphetamine), were also reportedly found at the scene.
A witness, who requested anonymity, described the incident as devastating for the Nsukka community, alleging that the students died during the indoor gathering.
Videos subsequently circulated on social media purportedly showing the lifeless bodies of some of the victims inside the apartment.
Meanwhile, an unconfirmed account from a student of the university claimed that medical examination of one of the survivors indicated an overdose of hard drugs in the person’s system.
However, the precise circumstances surrounding the incident, including the cause of the reported deaths, remain unknown. The identities of the six victims have also not been officially released.
Neither the UNN management nor the Enugu State Police Command had issued an official statement as of the time of filing this report.
The alleged involvement of drugs and alcohol has yet to be independently established.