Barely a week after the reported death of a Nigerian mother of three from cancer in the United Kingdom, another tragedy has struck the Nigerian community, as a father of three, identified simply as Herbert, has been found dead in his apartment.
Herbert, who resided in Thornaby, was said to have died in his sleep last week, leaving behind his wife and three young children.
His family has since appealed for financial assistance to cover funeral expenses and the cost of repatriating his remains to Nigeria.
According to information shared on Sunday via a post on X by a user known as “The Stress Manager,” the incident has left relatives and associates in shock.
The post revealed that Herbert had been grappling with emotional and financial pressure following the recent death of his father in Nigeria, which occurred just days before his own passing.
“Herbert, a calm and devoted Nigerian husband and father of three young children, the youngest just eight years old, passed away suddenly in his sleep in Thornaby.
“Only a few days before his death, he was already dealing with the pain of losing his father in Nigeria. He could not travel for the burial, but he gave everything he had financially to ensure his father had a dignified farewell. That alone drained him mentally and financially.
“Then the unimaginable happened. Herbert passed away on the very day his father was laid to rest.”
The post further indicated that the situation was particularly distressing, as Herbert’s children were the ones who discovered his lifeless body in the apartment while their mother was away.
“To make it even more heartbreaking, his children were the ones who found him that morning because his wife was away at the time. No child should ever experience that.
“Now his wife is left alone to care for three young children while also facing the heavy financial burden of funeral and repatriation costs,” the post added.
A former president of Nigerians in the UK, Benjamin Kuti, also confirmed the incident in a post on his X account on Friday, calling on members of the Nigerian community in the UK to support the bereaved family.
Meanwhile, a fundraising campaign has been launched to assist the family, with appeals directed at Nigerians in the diaspora and the general public.
As of the time of filing this report, £2,633 had been raised out of the £7,000 target.
