Ex-SUG President Dies at NYSC Camp in Enugu

A member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Etimbuk Daniel, has died during his three-week orientation course at the NYSC camp in Enugu State.

Etimbuk Daniel was the immediate past president of the Students’ Union Government (SUG) at Akwa Ibom State University.

He was from Akwa Ibom State, located in the South-south region of Nigeria.

Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom announced the news in a statement by his spokesperson, Ekerete Udo, shared on Facebook on Wednesday.

Governor Eno called the death of the former SUG president a painful loss. He said it was a loss not just to his family but also to the student community in Akwa Ibom State.

“I received with sadness the news of the tragic passing of Comrade Etimbuk Daniel, a promising young leader whose life was cut short while answering the call to serve our nation,” the governor said in the statement.

He expressed condolences to the grieving family, the leadership, and members of the National Association of Akwa Ibom State Students, and all students from Akwa Ibom across the globe.

“Our youths are our future, and losing such a brilliant young man, with a bright future ahead of him, is deeply painful. His passing represents a huge loss to our State and the student community he served with dedication,” the governor added.

“At this difficult moment, I pray that God Almighty grants his family, friends, colleagues, and the entire student community the fortitude to bear this painful loss,” he stated.

The exact time of the former SUG president's death at the NYSC camp was not mentioned.

Meanwhile, the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has claimed that fake drugs and delays in medical care may have contributed to his death at the NYSC camp.

NANS President Akinteye Afeez said in a statement on Facebook on Sunday that he was shocked to hear about Mr Daniel’s death.

He mentioned that reports indicated that Daniel complained of a headache and was given some medication while at the camp.

“Unfortunately, his condition reportedly worsened after taking the drugs. He requested to be taken to the hospital, but the necessary approval allegedly came too late, and he passed away before he could be taken for medical attention,” he said.

Afeez continued, “We were further informed that the doctor later identified the drugs administered to him as fake.”

“These are deeply troubling allegations that require a thorough investigation to establish the circumstances surrounding his tragic death,” he added.

He stated that the student community is now in mourning and expressed condolences to the family, friends, colleagues, and the entire Akwa Ibom State University community.

“The menace of fake drugs continues to pose a grave threat to lives in our society, and this tragic incident highlights the urgent need for accountability, proper medical care, and stronger measures to protect the lives of our young people,” he said.

“NANS is mourning this painful loss, and our further actions and official position on the matter will be communicated in due course.”

PREMIUM TIMES could not confirm the claim that the NYSC member died after being given a fake drug.

The newspaper also could not confirm immediately that the former SUG president passed away after a delay in hospital transfer approval.

However, it appears that the former students’ leader died in the first week of October. He last posted on Facebook on October 4, about six days before news of his death came out.

PREMIUM TIMES tried to reach the NYSC Enugu State Secretariat on Wednesday to respond to the claims about the fake drug and the late approval for hospital transfer.

A phone number for the NYSC Enugu State Secretariat was unreachable when our reporter called.

The secretariat had not responded to a text message sent on Wednesday.

This newspaper also emailed the secretariat on Wednesday but had not received a response by the time of filing this report.