Two days after a 300 level student of the Department of Microbiology , Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, slumped and died while playing football; another student., Chioma Ajana Isabella, a 100-level Law student died on Wednesday, following widely-condemned policy of Emelda Hostel, located within the university campus where she lived.
Chioma, described by her mates as intelligent, promising, and full of dreams, was said to have lost her room key and had approached the Management of the hostel to request a spare key, explaining that she was diabetic and urgently needed to access her insulin medication kept inside her refrigerator. Her plea reportedly , fell on deaf ears.
Rather than provide immediate help, the Hostel Management reportedly told her that their policy required her two roommates to pay ₦40,000 each — totalling ₦120,000 — before the spare key could be released, even while there are many spare keys available. Despite repeated appeals, explanations, and even warnings about her medical condition, she was allegedly denied access to the room.
Left without her medication for three consecutive days, her health deteriorated drastically, and she eventually collapsed on Sunday and was rushed to the hospital in a critical state, but all efforts to revive her proved abortive. By Wednesday morning, she was confirmed dead.
Recounting the ugly incident, a source at UNIZIK wrote: “Isabella died simply because of the weird policy at Emalda hostel whereby if you lose your key, you will have to pay handsomely for you to be given the spare key. But Isabella’s case was different for medical reasons. She was diabetic. And it was said that the door key has the jam and lock feature. Either she misplaced her key or forgot it inside the room.
The lady Manager of the hostel refused to give her the spare key to open the door, insisting that she must follow the protocol of paying penalty of N40,000 (Forty Thousand Naira).
“For three days, she was refused access to her room simply because the hostel manager said she was “careless.” She was asking for the keys to have access to her drugs as she is dependent on insulin. Yet, they refused. She was kept away from her drugs for three days. She was told to bring
“She eventually collapsed and was rushed to UNIZIK Medical Centre. At the hospital, her condition became very critical. She then lapsed into hypoglycemic shock. A few days later, on Wednesday, she passed away.
“She was full of life, getting ready to be called to the Law Students Association Bar next week, which she was excited about, dallying and gossiping about her dress. She was somebody’s daughter, somebody’s sister. Now, she is gone just because of negligence and lack of emotional intelligence by hostel officials.”
The sad incident has continued to generate reactions and condemnations from within and outside the university community, with many describing the hostel’s actions as not only insensitive and exploitative, but grossly inhumane. The ₦40,000 spare key charge, which many students say is a standing policy in Emelda Hostel, has been strongly condemned, with several students recounting similar experiences of being forced to pay the same amount even in emergency situations.
Students also revealed that Emelda Hostel, despite being located within the university premises, is not owned by the institution and has over the years attracted criticisms for its rigid policies and high-handedness, especially towards students facing one challenge or another. A classmate of the deceased, who narrated her own ordeal on social media, said she had once been forced to pay ₦120,000 before being allowed access to her room under similar circumstances, describing the policy as exploitative and lacking any trace of empathy.
Until her death, Chioma was said to be preparing to be called to the LAWSA Bar, with plans already in motion for the ceremony. Her friends described her as cheerful and focused, noting that her only offence was misplacing her key — something they say should never have resulted in death, if those concerned had acted with the slightest sense of humanity
In response to the unfortunate incident and the growing public outcry, the Acting Vice-Chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Professor Carol Chinyelugo Arinze-Umobi, has constituted an eight-man investigative committee to look into the activities of Emelda Hostel Management and the circumstances surrounding the student’s death.
The committee, chaired by Professor Mike Oddih, has been mandated to thoroughly investigate the incident, examine the operational methods of the hostel, and submit its report within one week. Other members of the panel include Professor Okey Charles Ogu, Professor Richard Uwakwe, Rev. Fr. Professor Ken Oraegbunam, Professor Tracie Uto-Ezeajugh, Barrister Philomena Okoye, the SUG President Eze Samuel, and Miss Ogo Okolo who will serve as the Secretary.
Meanwhile, many students have called for a complete overhaul of private hostel regulations within the university, insisting that no facility operating on campus should be allowed to implement policies that place profit above the lives and wellbeing of students. There are also calls for legal actions to be instituted against the Management of Emelda Hostel, to serve as a deterrent to others.
Chioma’s death, many believe, should not be swept under the carpet, but should mark a turning point in how student welfare and emergency situations are handled.