The management of Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Awka, has confirmed the tragic death of Miss Isabella Ajana, a 100-level Law student, and has launched a full investigation into the events that led to her untimely demise.
Isabella’s death comes just four days after another student, Tochi, a 300-level Microbiology student, collapsed and died while playing football.
According to reliable sources, Isabella died on Friday, July 4, 2025, at the Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital, where she was admitted on Monday, June 30.
The tragedy reportedly began on Friday, June 27, when Isabella and her roommates at Emalda Hostel were locked out of their room after mistakenly leaving their key inside. Efforts to retrieve a spare key were unsuccessful as the custodian was reportedly out of state and unavailable until the following Monday.
Speaking anonymously, a source within the hostel recounted, “The girls contacted hostel management immediately, but no help came. By Sunday night, Isabella’s situation worsened. She was a Type 1 diabetes patient, and her insulin and other medications were locked in the room.”
Despite attempts to manage her condition overnight, her health deteriorated. When the spare key was finally obtained on Monday morning, Isabella was able to access her medication. However, it was too late—she was rushed to the UNIZIK Medical Centre, which referred her to the teaching hospital due to the severity of her condition.
Though Isabella reportedly showed signs of improvement by Thursday, she died the following day, sending shockwaves through the university community.
Sources close to the deceased claim that hostel authorities allegedly demanded up to N40,000 before releasing the spare key, a claim the university has since denied.
Reacting to the incident, Acting Director of Information, Public Relations, and Protocol at UNIZIK, Mr. Njelita Louis, issued a statement on Thursday confirming the development and assuring that the university is thoroughly investigating the matter.
“The attention of the management of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, has been drawn to the distressing incident involving Miss Isabella Ajana,” the statement read. “The university is actively working to get to the root of this unfortunate situation.”
Mr. Louis emphasized that the university is committed to transparency and will continue to update the public as the investigation progresses.
He added that the university is also reviewing the operations, management, security, and welfare systems in Emalda Hostel, which is privately owned and located within the university’s vicinity.
“We urge everyone to remain calm and avoid actions that could breach the peace,” the statement concluded.
Meanwhile, the news of Isabella’s death, which was initially kept private at her family’s request, became public on Tuesday, July 8, after her mother informed a close friend.
The incident has sparked widespread outrage among students and advocacy groups, with many demanding accountability and better welfare provisions for students in private hostels affiliated with the university.
As the university mourns the loss of one of its own, questions linger over the role of hostel management and emergency response protocols—issues that the university says it is determined to address.