A Nigerian nurse based in Leeds, United Kingdom, Nnena Miriam, has been found dead in her apartment, leaving the nursing community in both the UK and Nigeria in deep shock and mourning.
According to Fellow Nurses Africa, an organisation focused on promoting the nursing profession across Africa, Miriam’s body was discovered by police following a missing person report filed by a close friend.
The friend, alarmed by Miriam’s unexplained absence from work and repeated unanswered calls, reported her missing. Authorities later found her lifeless body in her apartment.
In a statement released on Wednesday, the organisation said, “It is with heavy hearts and deep sorrow that we report the sudden passing of one of our own, Nnena Miriam, a dedicated and professional nurse based in Leeds, United Kingdom.
“Nurse Miriam was found dead in her room earlier this week under heartbreaking circumstances. According to reports, her last shift was on Sunday of last week.
“Alarm bells were raised when her close friend tried reaching out to her repeatedly from that Sunday without success. Growing increasingly worried, the friend filed a missing person report—only for the police to later discover her lifeless body in her apartment.”
It was revealed that Miriam had only just returned to the UK after her introduction ceremony in Nigeria, which was held in preparation for her upcoming traditional wedding.
“Tuesday, April 29, was meant to be her special day — a day of joy, celebration, and new beginnings. Instead, her sudden death has left colleagues and loved ones overwhelmed with unspeakable grief and unanswered questions,” the statement added.
Her colleagues remembered her as a nurse who carried out her duties with kindness, resilience, and commitment.
“Her untimely passing is a profound loss to the healthcare family she served with pride and to the many patients whose lives she touched with care and compassion.
“As the investigation continues, we join the family, friends, and the global African nursing community in mourning this tragic loss,” the statement concluded.
This heartbreaking incident comes just weeks after another Nigerian caregiver in the UK, Chidimma Ezenyili, collapsed while tending to an elderly patient and passed away two days later.
