The only son of a care home worker who died while running away from a group of youths who previously attacked her home was due to move to Newry to be with her next week.
Anu Okasanya (46) died after complications resulting from an asthma attack brought on as she ran from a group she had reported seeing attacking another person.
Originally from Nigeria, she moved to Newry 15 months ago where she was due to be joined by her 25-year-old son Olaitan.
Anu’s brother Gbenga, who also lives locally, said his nephew is “completely distraught”.
“The whole family is feeling really distraught. We’ve always been a really close family,” he told The Irish News.
“Missing one of us has been very tough to take, but more importantly her only child is extremely distraught.
“We are hoping he can make it but he is not in a good place, the impact on him is massive. We are speaking with him and trying to calm him down, but his mum has been all he’s known and he has been all his mum has known.
“They were extremely close. He’s based in Nigeria but he was supposed to arrive here next week, that was already planned and arranged and everything.
“She was just waiting to welcome him and to start their lives together again. It was supposed to be a grand reunion, but now all he is going to see is his mother being buried.”
As first reported by the Newry Reporter, Anu had reported being attacked by a group of youths on two separate occasions, including once at her home.
The incident which preceded her death involved her walking home from work, before running away from the group to a neighbour’s house where she collapsed suddenly. Her brother says the group were known to Anu and that she had to change her route home from work to avoid them.
Gbenga says his sister had loved living in Newry and described her as “caring” and “hard working”.
“She had been working in the home for 15 months and was very happy there, she was known as a very, very hard worker,” Gbenga added.
“She was very caring and had great patience, she was very good at her job.”
Sinn Féin MP Dáire Hughes expressed condolences.
The Newry and Armagh MP said: “Anu, a health worker who devoted her life to caring for others, attempted to raise the alarm on a gang who was beating up an individual in Newry, a group which she recognised as they had attacked her twice before.
“Unfortunately when doing so, Anu collapsed suddenly and died days later in hospital.
“The previous attacks on Anu were absolutely sickening, uncalled for and despicable. Diversity is something to be welcomed, to be championed and to be promoted.”
A senior police officer expressed his condolences to Anu’s family and friends, adding that PSNI officers had performed CPR and used a defibrillator in attempt to save her life.
“Our enquiries have established that this verbal altercation involved a number of individuals to which Anu was a witness but not directly involved,” District Commander Superintendent Norman Haslett said.
“My sympathy is extended to Anu’s loved ones and friends.”
