Barely one week after a Nigerian mother of three died of cancer in the United Kingdom, another Nigerian father of three, identified simply as Herbert, has been found dead in his apartment.
This is just as the deceased was said to have left behind a wife and three young children, as his family appeals for financial support to cover funeral and repatriation costs.
PUNCH Metro learnt on Sunday from a post by an X user identified as ‘The Stress Manager’ that Herbert, who lived in Thornaby, died suddenly in his sleep last week, in what relatives described as a shocking and heartbreaking incident.
According to the post, the deceased had been battling emotional and financial strain following the death of his father in Nigeria just days before his own passing.
The post read, “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 X user added that the incident was particularly traumatic for the family, as Herbert’s children were the ones who discovered his lifeless body.
He noted that Herbert was a devoted husband and father, survived by three children, the youngest aged eight.
He added that following his death, the family has been left with the burden of caring for the children and raising funds to repatriate his remains to Nigeria for burial.
“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,” he added.
A former president of Nigerians in the UK, Benjamin Kuti, also confirmed Herbert’s death in a post on his X page on Friday.
Kuti also appealed to the Nigerian community in the UK to support Herbert’s family.
Meanwhile, a fundraising campaign has been launched to support the family, with an appeal to Nigerians in the UK and the wider public to assist.
As of the time of filing this report, a sum of £2,633 had been raised out of the £7,000 target.
PUNCH Metro reported on April 13 that a UK-based Nigerian mother of three, Omotayo Abioye, died after a battle with breast cancer.
Kuti had stated that Omotayo died on April 5 at the age of 40.
She was described by her family as a devoted mother, loving wife, and compassionate individual whose life impacted many.
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