The management of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State, has confirmed the tragic death of Miss Isabella Ajana, a 100-level Law student, and has initiated a formal investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident. Isabella reportedly died on Friday, July 4, 2025, after being admitted at the Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital on Monday, June 30. Her death comes just four days after another student, Tochi, a 300-level Microbiology student, slumped and died while playing football on campus.
According to accounts from Emalda Hostel, where Isabella resided, the ordeal began on Friday, June 27, when she and her roommates were locked out of their room after accidentally leaving their key inside. Efforts to reach the hostel authorities for access to a spare key reportedly failed. “The unfortunate event began on Friday night, June 27, when the deceased and her roommates were locked out of their room at Emalda Hostel after mistakenly leaving their key inside,” a source within the hostel revealed. “Immediate efforts were made to reach hostel authorities for access to the spare key, but were unsuccessful. It was discovered that the key custodian was out of the state and could not provide access until Monday morning.”
Tragically, Isabella’s health began to decline by Sunday night due to her Type 1 Diabetes condition, as her insulin and essential medication were locked in the room. “Her condition deteriorated rapidly,” the source continued. “Though managed overnight, the spare key was finally retrieved by Monday morning, granting access to her medication. Unfortunately, efforts to stabilise her condition proved ineffective, even after the insulin was administered.” She was initially taken to the UNIZIK Medical Centre, which referred her to the teaching hospital, where she was later admitted and showed slight improvement before passing away on Friday.
In response to the incident, the university’s Acting Director of Information and Public Relations, Njelita Louis, issued a statement confirming the investigation and reaffirming the school’s commitment to uncovering the truth. “The attention of the management of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, has been drawn to the distressing incident involving Miss Isabella Ajana, a 100-level student in the Faculty of Law,” he stated. “Currently, there is an ongoing investigation into the circumstances that led to the demise of our dear student.” The management also announced it is closely examining the operation, safety, and student welfare practices at Emalda Hostel, a privately-run facility near the university, and urged all to remain calm while the process unfolds.
