The Nigerian community in Canada has been thrown into mourning following the deaths of two children, Amna Ayomide Bennett and Damilola Khalid Afolabi, in separate incidents that occurred within one week in different provinces.
Authorities in Canada reportedly said preliminary investigations suggested that both incidents were accidental, adding that there was no immediate indication of foul play.
According to reports, six-year-old Bennett died on April 26 after allegedly falling from a high-rise apartment building in North York, Toronto, Ontario.
Police officers were said to have responded to a distress call near Chalkfarm Drive and Jane Street around 8:15 p.m., where the girl’s body was discovered outside the building.
A spokesperson for the Toronto Police, Amy Davey, reportedly said the child fell from a “very high level,” although investigators did not officially disclose the exact floor. Bennett’s family was said to reside on the 28th floor of the apartment complex.
Davey stated that the incident was not initially considered suspicious, but noted that investigations were still ongoing.
Residents of the building described the incident as heartbreaking, with one neighbour, Jahlique James, saying she often saw the child with her mother around the premises.
“It’s just very heartbreaking. My heart goes out to the family,” she was quoted as saying.
The apartment’s management company, Greenwin, also expressed sadness over the incident and said it was cooperating fully with investigators.
In a separate incident in Calgary, 12-year-old Afolabi reportedly drowned in Mahogany Lake while playing with friends just weeks after his family relocated from Ghana to Canada.
Reports stated that the boy had gone out to play after returning from church on Sunday before the tragic incident occurred.
According to accounts, Afolabi jumped into the lake from a dock but failed to resurface because he could not swim.
His father, Jubreel Afolabi, said he never imagined that would be the last time he would see his son alive.
“He said he wanted to play outside after church and that was the last time I saw him,” the grieving father said.
He recalled that before the family left Ghana, the boy had expressed excitement about the new life they hoped to build in Canada.
Firefighters later recovered the boy’s body from the lake, and he was buried at a cemetery in Calgary on Wednesday.
A family representative, Patrick Adda, said members of the community had rallied around the bereaved family following the tragedy.
The incidents have continued to generate reactions on social media, with many Nigerians in Canada expressing condolences and calling for increased safety measures for children in high-rise buildings and around water bodies.
