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The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has launched a formal investigation into the death of a National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member at the orientation camp in Agwu (also referred to as Awgu), Enugu State, following public reports and allegations linking the incident to possible substandard or falsified medicines.
In a press release dated October 19 2026, signed by Director-General Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, NAFDAC confirmed that its officers had visited the camp clinic, interviewed attending medical personnel and other staff, and collected samples of the medicines administered for laboratory analysis and possible further regulatory action.
According to NAFDAC’s official account, the deceased, Etimbuk Daniel, was the immediate past Students’ Union Government (SUG) president of Akwa Ibom State University. He died after receiving treatment at the camp clinic and later being referred to a tertiary hospital.
Daniel was first taken to the camp clinic on the evening of Wednesday, Oct 7, 2026 (around 9:00 p.m.), assisted by two fellow corps members. He presented with symptoms suggestive of severe malaria and had a known history of peptic ulcer disease. Medical staff stabilised him with intramuscular antimalarial medication and other supportive intravenous treatments. He was placed under observation and discharged the following morning (8 October) with oral medications.
He returned to the clinic on Saturday, 10 October, complaining of right thigh pain, accompanied by profuse sweating and recurrent episodes of low blood pressure (recorded as low as 80/40 mmHg in some accounts). Despite fluid resuscitation with intravenous normal saline, he developed persistently poor urine output. Due to his deteriorating condition, he was referred by ambulance—accompanied by a doctor—to the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Ituku-Ozalla. He became comatose around the time of arrival, and resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful.
Preliminary clinical assessments by the attending doctors indicated that the suspected cause of death was acute kidney injury secondary to severe dehydration and shock. NAFDAC has emphasised that these findings are preliminary and do not, by themselves, establish whether the medicines administered contributed to the death.
The agency noted that the same medications given to Daniel had also been administered to several other patients at the camp who recovered after treatment. Healthcare workers at the clinic had reportedly used the medications themselves at various times. NAFDAC stressed that these circumstances do not confirm a causal link and urged the public to avoid speculation or drawing premature conclusions while the investigation continues. The agency reiterated its commitment to ensuring that medicines available in Nigeria meet required standards of safety, quality, and efficacy.
The death has drawn significant attention. Earlier, on 15 October 2026, the Nigerian Senate ordered an investigation into the circumstances surrounding Daniel’s death and the state of medical facilities and emergency response services at NYSC orientation camps nationwide. The probe involves multiple Senate committees working with security agencies.
The case has highlighted ongoing concerns about healthcare provision in NYSC orientation camps, where thousands of young Nigerians undergo intensive programmes each year.
