UNIZIK launches probe into law student’s death after hostel lockout denied her medication

The management of Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Awka, has launched a formal investigation into the tragic death of Miss Isabella Ajana, a 100-level Law student, who passed away after reportedly being locked out of her hostel room and denied access to her life-saving medication.

Ajana, a Type 1 diabetes patient, died on Friday, July 4, at the Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital, where she had been admitted four days earlier, following complications caused by her inability to take insulin for several days.

The incident began on Friday, June 27, when Ajana and her roommates mistakenly left their room key inside their apartment at Emalda Hostel, a privately managed facility near the university. Attempts to retrieve a spare key reportedly failed because the custodian was out of town.

As the hours passed, Ajana’s condition worsened. She was unable to access her insulin, which was locked in the room, and only regained access on Monday morning, by which time she had already developed severe symptoms. She was first taken to the UNIZIK Medical Centre, but due to the severity of her condition, she was referred to the teaching hospital.

Despite initially showing signs of recovery by Thursday, July 3, she died the following day. The university community was only officially informed of her passing on July 8, after her mother contacted a close friend of the deceased.

The incident has sparked outrage among students, who have expressed frustration over what they describe as institutional neglect and poor emergency support systems for students.

In a statement released Thursday, UNIZIK’s Acting Director of Information and Public Relations, Njelita Louis, confirmed the tragic incident and assured the public that the university is investigating the matter thoroughly.

“The attention of the management of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, has been drawn to the distressing incident involving Miss Isabella Ajana,” the statement read. “We are actively working to get to the root of this unfortunate situation.”

The university said the probe will focus on the management and operations of Emalda Hostel, as well as its student welfare protocols, particularly during emergencies. Louis also called for calm, assuring that transparency will be maintained throughout the investigation.

“The university is committed to transparency and will keep the public informed about the progress and outcome of the investigation. We urge everyone to remain calm and avoid any actions that could disrupt the peace,” he added.

Ajana’s death follows another recent tragedy involving a 300-level Microbiology student, Tochi, who reportedly collapsed and died while playing football. The two incidents have drawn renewed scrutiny over the university’s preparedness to handle medical emergencies and protect student welfare.