Joshua Adiefeh, 20, died at his Manchester Metropolitan University accommodation having only moved in one week prior, and now tributes have been paid to the young man
03:15, 21 Oct 2025
‘Super fit’ student, 20, suddenly dies at uni hours after complaining about stomach
Joshua Adiefeh
A “super fit” university student who died after severe stomach pain had a blocked intestine, it has emerged today.
Joshua Adiefeh, 20, passed away at his university accommodation on September 28, having only moved in one week prior. The first-year accounting and finance student at Manchester Metropolitan University had been vomiting with stomach pain for a few weeks, but his health rapidly declined overnight, it is understood. During which, Joshua was spending time with his twin Joel, 20, and brother Daniel, 21, who had come to visit him in his new city.
An ambulance was initially unable to attend so Joel dashed to a shop to grab some paracetamol for Joshua but, upon his return to the halls of residence, he found his sibling lying unconscious on the bathroom floor. Despite the best efforts of paramedics, he was pronounced dead within two hours.
An autospy has now shown the student, originally from Nottingham, had been suffering from a blocked intestine, which can result in serious complications.
Paying tribute to Joshua, Daniel said: “I thought it would be us three until the end. Anyone that knows me knows that I have two brothers. Anyone that knows Josh knows that he has two brothers. Everything we did, we did it together. For Joel, even to this day, I can see in his eyes, he’s not the same.”
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Joshua’s two brothers rushed to his aid after he was found unresponsive
Daniel, a footballer for Notts County, called Joshua “a person of the people”, “selfless” and “always willing to help others” in his poignant tribute to the Daily Mail.
The brothers had enjoyed a quiet evening on September 27, eating at Nando’s, going on a walk and playing pool. Daniel had dropped Joel off at the halls of residence, leaving the tight-knit pair to enjoy their quality time and going out in the city with friends, having only seen Joshua at home a week before.
His little brother soon began to feel a pain in his stomach – and the next morning, Joel, who was staying with his twin, called Daniel for help. Daniel, the oldest of the three, continued: “I didn’t really think anything of it. When you’ve got a belly ache, you don’t think there’s anything too serious.”
But Joshua’s condition worsened and he struggled to breathe. His brother went on: “It was terrible. For us, me and my two brothers, we’ve always been together, we’ve always done everything together.”
In the days after the death, more than 300 people came to a send-off event where Joshua’s life was celebrated in Nottingham. Loved ones delivered speeches, sent balloons into the air and let off fireworks to honour the young man.
A spokesperson for North West Ambulance Service said: “We want to offer our sincere condolences to Joshua’s family at this very difficult time. We invite them to contact our patient resolutions team with their concerns. We will then investigate and get in touch with them directly about our findings.”
A Manchester Metropolitan University spokesperson said: “It is with great sadness that we can confirm the death of our first year Accounting and Finance student Joshua Adiefeh. Our thoughts are with Joshua’s family and friends at this difficult time.
“We have offered support to Joshua’s family and we have let students and staff know that professionally trained counselling staff are on hand to support anyone affected by this sad news.”
