By Jimmy Jackson
Following the recent stampede that occurred on Tuesday 25th February, 2025 involving students who were scheduled to write examination in the Department of Chemistry, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Calabar, Prof. Florence Banku Obi has confirmed that contrary to the information in circulation by some news merchants, claiming that two students: ‘a male and a female’ involved in the sad incident died, no student was actually dead.
Professor Obi made the clarification on Wednesday while responding to concerns raised regarding the incident.
“Yes, we confirm that the was a stampede when some of our students were scheduled to write CHM 101 in the Department of Chemistry which is a general course for most students in sciences”.
“This sad and avoidable incident happened when those scheduled to write in the morning were unable to turned up for their examination and thereafter started struggling their ways with those scheduled for afternoon. Officials on ground on ground struggled to manage the situation, but the students were obviously unruly, but none of them lost their lives either in the process or in the hospital. I visited those who were rushed to our medical center and I’ve been following up with every process and all of them have been discharged”. She added.
On the information making the round on different platforms (Not the Parchment) that two of the students involved were already dead. The VC dismissed the information, adding that it is a handiwork of mischief makers and fake news purveyors while urging the public to disregard such information and contact only the relevant information unit of the university.
The Director of the institution’s Medical Center, Dr. Etta Williams said that the affected students have been discharged from their facilities, while noting that it is laughable to read from different social media handles that two of the victims died in their facilities.
“It is not true that two victims of the stampede in UNICAL died. It is even more laughable that it has been reported by some individuals and organizations without any finding. There’s no atom of truth in the news. We intervened immediately and conveyed them to our facilities. Some walked in here by themselves. Some had impending medical conditions which was prompted by the crowd”.
“One was an epileptic patient; two were referred to Unical Teaching Hospital for X-ray but have been discharged. Most of them got stabilized that day and were discharged, but those with impending medical conditions were kept behind for further examination and have been discharged”. He concluded.
