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Nigerian
university in mourning after four students die at post-exam party
Four Nigerian students have died after
attending a party in the south-eastern town of Nsukka to celebrate the end of
their final exams.
The cause of death has not been confirmed but police
spokesman Daniel Ndukwe said the two men and two women had reportedly fallen
ill after consuming alcoholic drinks at the party.
The University of Nigeria Nsukka has declared three days
of mourning, during which academic and social activities will be suspended.
The tragedy comes amid a wider crackdown on fake and
adulterated alcoholic drinks in Nigeria, where the food and drug regulator has
been raiding suspected producers of unsafe food and beverages.
The university's Vice-Chancellor, Professor Simon
Ortuanya, said the university had received a distress call at 22:00 on
Wednesday, and sent security personnel to a house party at Praise Lodge,
outside the campus in Nsukka's Hilltop area.
"The preliminary investigation and interim report
point to alleged alcohol abuse or drug paraphernalia and things like that. But
we are not conclusive on those matters," he said.
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He described the deaths as "tragic
and painful".
"As a community, we mourn, not just alone, we mourn
with the families, the parents that have suffered these years to train the men
and women in their studies," he said.
Ortuanya also announced a ban on signing-out
celebrations, which are commonly held by final-year students to mark the
completion of their studies.
The celebrations often involve parties, dancing,
photographs and friends signing one another's shirts. He urged students to use
graduation as a time to reflect on their university experience and prepare for
life beyond campus.
The university said it was working with security
agencies to establish what had caused the deaths.
The police have also launched an investigation. They
said alcoholic drinks had been recovered from the scene and the bodies taken to
a mortuary for autopsies.
The investigation comes amid wider concerns about unsafe
alcoholic drinks in Nigeria.
In September, dozens of people fell ill after consuming
locally made alcoholic drinks and herbal mixtures in communities across Ondo
State, south-west Nigeria.
More than 11 people died in the Araromi-Obu area, while
more than 50 others were hospitalised.
Investigations found that some of the drinks had been
contaminated with methanol, a highly toxic form of alcohol that can cause
blindness and death.
Nigeria's food and drug regulator, Nafdac,
reported more than 150 cases, including 48 confirmed deaths. More than 80
people were hospitalised, and five lost their sight.
The regulator has been carrying out raids
across the country, targeting facilities suspected of producing fake or
adulterated alcoholic drinks, food and beverages.
Nigeria has long struggled with the sale
of unsafe and adulterated products, which campaigners warn pose a serious
threat to public health.
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