Newry: Family speak of attacks after care worker’s death

The death of a care worker is being linked by her family to an anti-social incident in Newry, County Down.

Anu Olusanya, 46, died last week – days after her family say she witnessed a gang of young people attacking another person close to her home in the city.

Anu’s brother, Gbenga Oluwasanya, told BBC News NI that she ran to a neighbour’s home after the incident, but as she went into the house, she had an asthma attack, which led to multiple heart attacks.

She later died in hospital.

Mr Oluwasanya said that Anu ran in fear because she had been previously attacked on two other occasions in the same area.

The BBC has approached the Police Service of Northern Ireland for comment.

“Words cannot describe what we are feeling right now,” Mr Oluwasanya told BBC News NI.

He said his sister moved to Northern Ireland from Nigeria more than a year ago to work in the health care sector, adding that she had finished a 12-hour shift on the night of the incident.

Mr Oluwasanya said Anu called the police after witnessing an attack while walking home from work on 24 August.

“She ran into a neighbour’s house just to take cover,” he added.

“As she came in, she couldn’t say anything; she was gasping for breath.”

The police arrived within a matter of minutes and saw Anu struggling to breathe, according to Mr Oluwasanya.

“She thought she was running for her life, but actually, unfortunately she ran into her death.”

Mr Oluwasanya explained his sister was frightened because she had been attacked in June when a boy threw liquid over her while she was walking on the street in “broad daylight”.

“So they were known to her, and that’s why she knew she had to run to protect herself,” he said.

In a earlier incident, Mr Oluwasanya said the gang followed Anu to her home and were banging on her door and “terrorising her”.

He said Anu had reported both of those attacks to the police.

Anu’s sister Lola Sonubi said the family has been “devastated” by her death.

“All our sister was doing, was trying to help somebody who they were attacking, and she has died.”

Ms Sonubi, who lives in England, described Anu as a “very hard working, intelligent, kind, full of life and beautiful”.

“This is a big loss for us, she was the last of five, both of us are the only two girls.”

She added that Anu has a 24-year-old son who still lives in Nigeria.

“Her son is really struggling, he is not taking it well at all, we hope he will be ok,” Mr Oluwasanya said.

The family first shared their story with the Newry Reporter newspaper.