- Nigerian Mother Dies Hours After Arriving in UK for Son’s Graduation
- A fundraising campaign has been launched on JustGiving to raise £20,000 to repatriate her remains
- One user, @agu_i, encouraged travellers to stay hydrated, limit alcohol and caffeine intake
A Nigerian woman, Oluranti Akinyemi, has died in the United Kingdom less than 20 hours after reportedly arriving in the country to attend her son’s graduation ceremony.
Eko Hot Blog gathered that a fundraising campaign has been launched on JustGiving to raise £20,000 to repatriate her remains to Nigeria and cover related expenses.
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As of Wednesday, £2,087 had been raised from 97 donors.
In the appeal, Adekunle Ogundana stated that the funds would be used for her repatriation and funeral arrangements.
“Help us bring our sister, mother, friend and beloved home, Mrs Oluranti Olufunmilayo Esther Akinyemi (née Oluwalana/Ogundana),” he wrote.
According to the statement on the platform, Akinyemi travelled to the UK to attend her son’s graduation but suffered a sudden cardiac arrest in the middle of the night shortly after arrival. She was rushed to Luton and Dunstable Hospital, where she remained on life support for three days before she was declared clinically dead.
The family described the incident as sudden and devastating, noting that urgent funds are needed to cover the cost of repatriating her body to Nigeria, settling outstanding medical bills in the UK, and funeral expenses.
Akinyemi, believed to be a mother of four, reportedly arrived in the UK on February 11 for a graduation scheduled for February 18. A UK-based X user, @DHKRULLAH, who shared the fundraising link, stated that she suffered cardiac arrest on February 12, remained in a coma for three days, and was confirmed dead on February 14, 2026.
Following the incident, some social media users advised families to take precautionary health measures when elderly relatives travel abroad.
One user, @agu_i, encouraged travellers to stay hydrated, limit alcohol and caffeine intake, move around during long flights, and consider wearing compression socks to aid circulation.
Another user, @The4thTobs, recounted a similar incident involving a woman who reportedly collapsed shortly after arriving in the UK to assist her daughter with childcare.
A third user, @iamSwagga22, called for improved medical collaboration between health authorities and the aviation industry to address travel-related health emergencies, including the development of guidelines for managing potential pulmonary embolism cases.
The incident comes amid reports of other Nigerian deaths in the UK, including that of Saburi Adeniji, who reportedly died after battling a severe brain stem injury.
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