THE death of 37-year-old Nigerian student, Douglas Izevbigie, in the United Kingdom has sent shockwaves through the Nigerian diaspora, rekindling concerns about chronic illnesses, late diagnosis, and access to healthcare among Nigerians living overseas.
This was revealed in a GoFundMe message organised by members of the Nigerian community in the UK to help his family shoulder funeral and related expenses.
“In the middle of his studies last year, he was diagnosed with an aggressive form of leukaemia. He underwent treatment and was frequently in and out of the hospital with complications. Even through it all, he continued trying to keep up with his studies, showing remarkable strength and determination,” the organiser of the appeal, identified as Sephora wrote.
Sephora, who described herself as a colleague of the deceased’s sister, Kate, revealed that Izevbigie died on January 21 at a UK hospital after battling an aggressive form of leukaemia, barely months after arriving in the country to pursue a master’s degree at Sheffield Hallam University.
“Tragically, Douglas passed away unexpectedly on January 21. He was found unwell and unresponsive in his room by his sister and was taken to A&E, but despite urgent medical care, he sadly passed away,” she added.
Sephora noted that the loss was particularly heartbreaking for Kate, who only recently buried their mother in Nigeria.
“This has been a devastating loss for Kate, especially as she has recently also lost her mum in Nigeria. Kate supported Douglas throughout his time in the UK, including helping to fund his travel here and being his main support while he battled illness far from home,” she said.
She explained that because of the high cost of repatriating his remains to Nigeria, the family has opted to bury him in the UK.
“We are raising money to cover Douglas’ funeral expenses here in the UK, as well as any other unexpected costs that may come up during this time. “The family’s plan is to lay him to rest here, as repatriation and funeral costs in Nigeria would be far too expensive,” she added, appealing for donations and support.
Douglas’ death comes days after another Nigerian in the UK, Saburi Adeniji, died following complications from a severe brain stem injury.
Adeniji, a left winger for non-league side Kings Park Rangers Football Club of Sudbury, Great Cornard, Suffolk, had been on life support in intensive care before he passed away on Friday morning.
In a statement, the club said he held on long enough for arrangements to be made for his family to travel to the UK, following earlier public appeals for prayers and financial assistance.
These deaths have added to the list of Nigerians who have died in the diaspora.
The ICIR reported that Chiowa Obeigbe, living in the UK, was reportedly found dead in his Gloucester apartment in late November 2025.
Nanji is an investigative journalist with the ICIR. She has years of experience in reporting and broadcasting human angle stories, gender inequalities, minority stories, and human rights issues. She has documented sexual war crimes in armed conflict, sex for grades in Nigerian Universities, harmful traditional practices and human trafficking.