A United Kingdom-based advocacy group, ForBlackWomenUK, has expressed concern over what it described as a disturbing trend involving Black women who go missing and are later found dead in rivers, lakes or coastal waters across the UK.
The organisation made the disclosure in an Instagram post on Wednesday, highlighting five separate cases involving four Nigerian women and one Kenyan woman whose bodies were recovered from water after they had been reported missing.
According to the group, the victims were identified as Blessing Olusegun, Kayon Williams, Taiwo Balogun, Samaria Ayanle and Edna Mmbali Ombakho.
It said the cases reflect a broader concern that missing Black women often receive less media attention and public support compared to other missing persons.
The advocacy group stressed that every missing person deserves urgent attention and thorough investigation, noting that each of the victims had families and loved ones seeking answers.
Olusegun, 21, a student and care worker from South London, reportedly went missing in September 2020 while undertaking a work placement in Bexhill-on-Sea.
Her body was later recovered from the beach and an autopsy concluded that she drowned, while police said there was no evidence suggesting the involvement of another person.
Williams, 24, a fashion blogger, was declared missing after leaving a night outing in London in July 2022.
Her body was found in the River Thames four days later, with authorities stating that her death was not being treated as suspicious, though the case drew criticism over what some described as limited media coverage during the search for her.
Balogun, 53, also disappeared in London in December 2022 and her body was discovered 29 days later in a lake close to the Bluewater Shopping Centre.
Police authorities said the incident did not show signs of foul play.
The group also referenced the case of 19-year-old student Samaria Ayanle, who studied Japanese and History of Art at SOAS University of London.
She was last seen on February 22, 2024, and was reported missing after university officials alerted the police weeks later.
Her body was later discovered five days after the report.
Another case cited by the group involved Edna Mmbali Ombakho, a 31-year-old Kenyan postgraduate student at York St John University.
She was reported missing on February 1, 2026, after leaving home for a walk.
Following weeks of search efforts by relatives, friends and volunteers, her body was eventually recovered on March 9.
Although authorities indicated that several of the deaths were not considered suspicious, the advocacy group said the repeated pattern had raised questions within sections of the community.
It added that discussions online had speculated about the possibility of Black women being specifically targeted, though no official evidence has confirmed such claims.
The organisation called for improved transparency in police investigations, equal media attention for missing persons cases and stronger mental health support systems for Black women in the UK.
