UNN Party Tragedy: Survivor Recalls Waking To Find Friends Dead

A 24-year-old University of Nigeria, Nsukka, UNN student has described how he barely survived an off-campus party that killed four other students in Nsukka, Enugu State.

The survivor, an Art Education student, claimed that after one of the attendees puked during the celebration, he lost consciousness. When he regained consciousness a few hours later, he found his friends lying on the ground, motionless.

The student described his encounter with our Crime Editor, saying that his friend David had organized the event to commemorate finishing his final exams.

He narrated: “During the party, one of the participants started vomiting. I took him to the toilet and asked him to clean himself up. I then came out to clean the vomit on the floor.

“After that, I suddenly lost consciousness. However, I noticed that my legs had become stiff, and I could no longer walk.

“When I regained consciousness at about 9 p.m., I heard someone saying that a ghost was shaking. I woke up and managed to look into the parlour, where I saw the host and other participants lying on the floor.”

“We didn’t smoke, and there was no drug there. We took only alcohol. We had just two bottles for about 10 people, so the quantity each person drank was very little, not even up to a quarter of a party cup.

“People have been asking me whether someone poisoned the drinks. Even the police officers who came asked whether we had issues with anyone or suspected anybody.

“But the host is not someone who keeps malice. I also saw him lying on the floor when I regained consciousness. His brother later confirmed that he was receiving treatment at Bishop Shanahan Hospital.

“This was the first time I took alcohol and experienced such a condition. I think this will be the last time I will ever take alcohol,” he said.

The survivor has every reason to go to church and thank God for sparing his life, and to keep holding on to Him with gratitude. While we are thankful that he survived, our hearts remain heavy for the four graduates who lost their lives. We extend our deepest sympathies to their families and pray that the departed rest in perfect peace. May this tragedy also remind the survivor to reflect on the role alcohol may have played and make safer choices going forward.