Concerned Nigerians in the United Kingdom have raised the alarm over the rising cases of sudden collapses among their compatriots following the death of an international student, Ross, who died on December 29, 2024, after he allegedly slumped and lost consciousness.
TheNigerian Metro gathered from a GoFundMe account set up by Benedita Ross, the deceased’s wife, to raise at least £30,000 for either repatriating his body to Nigeria or burying him in the UK, that he had no pre-existing medical condition.
The message on the GoFundMe page by the widow, Benedita, read, “Ross died suddenly on December 29, 2024. He had no prior illness, collapsed, and passed away before an ambulance could arrive. He was an international student in South Wales, UK, and was set to graduate in January 2025.
“We humbly ask for support to enable his family to start his burial arrangements to either be buried back home in Nigeria or here in the UK. His young widow would need your support to care for the kids and meet their immediate needs.”
Announcing the death on X.com on Wednesday, the deceased’s sister, known as @iamwinyjoe, wrote, “It’s a dark day for my family. Our brother Ross passed away on December 29, 2024, without any prior illness. He died in South Wales, UK, as an international student and is survived by his wife, mother, three children, and siblings.”
She also expressed sorrow, noting that the deceased had “just brought his children to the UK last month,” leaving his young widow to care for three small children, and appealed for support from the community.
“They were meant to switch their visas to PSW, but with the main applicant gone and their study visa expiring this January 2025. The young widow is even more confused,” the bereaved sister added.
TheNigerian Metro learnt on Thursday that before Ross’s death, another UK-based Nigerian, Chinonso Ezeonwumere, an MSc Management student at the University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, also collapsed and died while waiting to resume work on October 7, 2024.
According to information on the fundraiser account, efforts by medical practitioners, officers from Hatfield Police Station, and security personnel to resuscitate Ezeonwumere after he collapsed were unsuccessful, and he was pronounced dead.
Information from the GoFundMe account set up to raise funds for the repatriation of Ezeonwumere’s body to Nigeria for burial revealed that he arrived in the United Kingdom in September 2023.
The GoFundMe note partly reads: “My name is Christian, and I am raising funds to support the repatriation and funeral expenses of my relative, Chinonso Ezeonwumere, who, like many other Nigerian youths, arrived in the UK in September 2023 to pursue an MSc in Management at the University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, England.”
“On October 7, 2024, Chinonso was reported to have slumped and died at his workplace while waiting to resume his shift. Efforts made by the medical practitioners, Hatfield Police Station officers, and security officers on site to resuscitate him all proved abortive. Chinonso’s hope and dream of a brighter future in the UK were cut short by his sudden demise.
A report by TheNigerian Online, published on March 6, 2024, revealed that a 37-year-old Nigerian woman, Chidimma Ezenyili, who had been working as a carer in the United Kingdom, collapsed on February 22 and passed away two days later.
The incident occurred while Ezenyili was attending to an elderly woman, Ian Hale, on Scott Road, which led to her collapsing while on duty.
Before migrating to the UK, Ezenyili was reported to have practised law in Nigeria. She had been caring for Hale for the past five months, alongside her husband, Friday.
Other Nigerians, such as Obinna Dominus (@dominuspapai), raised similar concerns on Wednesday, revealing that he had witnessed two additional Nigerians in the UK who collapsed but survived due to prompt medical intervention.
“I have two close family friends here in the UK. A lady collapsed at work and was rushed to the hospital. A cardiac-related issue; luckily she survived and got treatment. A guy, on his way to pee at home, slumped. Luckily, his wife was around to resuscitate him.”
A member of Nigerians in the UK, known as Young Neche, attributed the rising cases of collapses among Nigerians to the strain of “working morning and night,” adding that he “nearly lost myself in June” after starting a schedule of morning and night shifts from February but had to stop due to alleged health issues.
Another Nigerian in the UK, Ani Nelson, supported Neche’s statement, saying, “Trying to keep up with bills can drain you mentally, but people won’t understand what you’re going through.”
“This is what most of our people pass through outside the country,” Ugwuagbo Providence added.
