Photo: The late Oluranti Akinyemi
A Nigerian woman, Oluranti Akinyemi, has died in the United Kingdom less than 24 hours after arriving for her son’s graduation ceremony, prompting her family to launch a £20,000 fundraising campaign to repatriate her remains to Nigeria.
Akinyemi, identified in the appeal as Mrs. Oluranti Olufunmilayo Esther Akinyemi (née Oluwalana/Ogundana), reportedly travelled to the UK on February 11 for a graduation scheduled for February 18.
According to a fundraising appeal posted on JustGiving, she suffered a sudden cardiac arrest in the middle of the night on February 12, less than 20 hours after her arrival. She was rushed to Luton and Dunstable Hospital, where she was placed on life support.
After three days in a coma, she was declared clinically dead on February 14, 2026.
In the appeal, Adekunle Ogundana said the funds would be used to cover the cost of repatriating her body to Nigeria, settling outstanding medical bills in the UK, and organizing her funeral.
“Help us bring our sister, mother, friend, and beloved home,” he wrote.
As of Wednesday, £2,087 had been raised from 97 donors toward the £20,000 target.
Family members described her death as sudden and devastating. Akinyemi, believed to be a mother of four, had travelled in anticipation of celebrating her son’s academic milestone.
The incident has sparked reactions on social media, with some users advising families to take precautionary health measures when elderly relatives travel abroad.
One user, @agu_i, urged travellers to stay hydrated, limit alcohol and caffeine intake, move around during long flights, and consider wearing compression socks to aid circulation and reduce health risks associated with long-haul travel.
Another user, @The4thTobs, recounted a similar case involving a woman who allegedly collapsed after arriving in the UK for postnatal childcare support, locally known as omugwo.
A third user, @iamSwagga22, called for closer collaboration between health authorities and the aviation industry to address travel-related medical emergencies, including the establishment of specialised response teams.
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.
