A Nigerian postgraduate student, Hammed, has died in the United Kingdom just weeks after completing a Master’s degree in Business and Management at the University of Plymouth. His passing followed a rapid decline in his health due to advanced cancer.
News of his death was shared through a GoFundMe campaign originally launched by Mariam Ajibola and Mohammed Chaanda to help cover the costs of his medical care. As his condition worsened, the campaign was updated to raise funds for his burial.
Hammed, 36, was from Ayete in Oyo State and the last of four children. He arrived in the UK in September to begin his studies despite receiving a cancer diagnosis earlier in the year. According to those close to him, he remained determined to finish his degree and pushed through significant physical and emotional strain to complete his academic programme.
Friends described him as cheerful, warm, and compassionate, noting that he was considered the “joyful heart” of his family. In recent weeks, however, his health deteriorated sharply. Family and supporters had tried to arrange for him to return to Nigeria to spend his final days at home, but doctors ruled that he was too unwell to travel.
The GoFundMe organisers explained that about £5,000 was required to secure a 50-year burial plot and a coffin in the UK. Before donations were paused, the campaign had raised more than £6,000.
Hammed’s death comes only days after another Nigerian, Chiowa Obeigbe, was found deceased in his apartment in Gloucester. Both incidents have drawn attention to the growing pressures and vulnerabilities faced by Nigerians living abroad.
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