Rain Led To Stampede, No Life Was Lost – UNICAL Says

By Favour Adinya

The Management of the University of Calabar (UNICAL) have clarified that no life was lost in the recent stampede that occurred during the school’s examination.

The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Florence Banku Obi, on Thursday February 27th, 2025 debunked claims that there were casualties as alleged in some quarters. She noted this in a statement addressing the incident, which involved students scheduled to write CHM 101, a foundational course taken by many in the sciences.

“We confirm that there was a stampede when some of our students were scheduled to write CHM 101. Unfortunately, those slated for the morning session struggled to enter the examination hall alongside those scheduled for the afternoon,” she explained.

The VC continued: “Officials on the ground attempted to manage the situation, but the students were unruly. Thankfully, none lost their lives, either during the incident or in the hospital. I visited those who were taken to our medical center, and I’m pleased to report that all have been discharged.”

She dismissed rumors of two students’ death – a male and a female, who were allegedly to had died, labeling such claims as misinformation from “mischief makers” and urging the public to rely on official relevant information unit of the university.

Prof. Grace Iniama, Head of the Department of Pure and Applied Chemistry, explained that the examination was scheduled from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM and involved over 7,000 students from 49 departments. She said the situation escalated when rain prevented students already inside from exiting, prompting those outside to rush in.

“This was precisely why we implemented the Computer Based Testing (CBT) method, allowing students to enter at their scheduled times. However, the students became unruly, overwhelming our officials. Some sustained minor injuries from the pushing and falling, but I am grateful for the quick response of the university ambulance that transported them to medical center,” she said.

Dr. Etta Williams, Director of the university’s Medical Center confirmed that good number students were rushed in but disclosed they have since been discharged.