Nigerian Community in Canada Grieves After Two Children Die in Separate Tragic Incidents
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The Nigerian community in Canada is mourning the deaths of two children who lost their lives in separate accidents within one week in Ontario and Alberta.
Six-year-old Amna Ayomide Bennett died after falling from a high-rise apartment building in North York, Toronto, while 12-year-old Damilola Khalid Afolabi drowned in Calgary’s Mahogany Lake days later.
According to reports, Bennett’s death occurred on April 26 after emergency responders were called to an apartment complex near Chalkfarm Drive and Jane Street in Toronto. Authorities arrived at the scene in the evening and discovered the child’s body outside the building.
Police said the incident is still under investigation but early findings do not suggest foul play. Investigators noted that the child fell from a very high floor of the residential tower where her family lived.
Residents in the area described the tragedy as devastating, with neighbours expressing sympathy to the grieving family. The property management company overseeing the apartment also released a statement extending condolences and confirming cooperation with investigators.
Family members said the boy had gone out to play shortly after returning from church on Sunday. Witnesses later reported that he entered the lake from a dock but was unable to swim back to safety.
Emergency crews eventually recovered his body from the water, and he was buried in Calgary on Wednesday.
His father, Jubreel Afolabi, emotionally recalled their final conversation before the incident, saying the family had been hopeful about starting a new life in Canada.
Members of the Nigerian and African communities in Canada have since rallied around both families, offering emotional and financial support during the difficult period.
The heartbreaking incidents have also sparked conversations online about child safety in high-rise buildings and around open water areas, with many parents urging increased supervision and stronger preventive measures.
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