“Where Is My Son?” Mother Seeks Answers After Teen’s Death in Tobago
The biological mother of 18-year-old Michael Okubosa is pleading for answers following his sudden death in Tobago, saying she has been unable to obtain clear information about her son’s body or funeral arrangements.
Michael, a Form 6B student of Scarborough Secondary School, collapsed on February 5 while playing in a basketball match at the Montgomery Hard Court in Bethel against Bishop’s High School. He was rushed to the Scarborough General Hospital, where he later died.
Last week, his mother, Ebaide Sandra Bakhti, travelled from the United States to Tobago seeking clarity about the circumstances surrounding his death and the location of his remains.
Bakhti, a Nigerian national, said she has been struggling to access information and feels excluded from decisions being made.
“I just want relevant information about my son and to know what is going on,” she said. “He is gone already, but at least let me grieve the way I want to.”
She alleged that Michael’s father took him from her when he was four years old and that she has not had meaningful contact with her son for the past 15 years. Bakhti said she presented his birth certificate, which was confirmed by his father, who now resides in Nigeria. Michael had been living in Tobago with his stepmother and sister.
Upon learning of his death, Bakhti said she made immediate arrangements to travel to Tobago. After arriving, she visited his school in an effort to gather information but said she was unable to obtain the answers she sought. She later reported the matter to the police.
Bakhti also expressed her wish that her son not be buried in Tobago, explaining that she has no relatives on the island and does not want his remains left there.
Senior Superintendent of Police Rodhil Kirk confirmed that Tobago police are handling the matter. He stated that the autopsy report found no evidence of criminal wrongdoing and therefore does not warrant a criminal investigation. However, he described the situation as sensitive.
Relatives of the teen in Tobago told the Express that attempts were made to contact Bakhti but were unsuccessful.
The circumstances surrounding access to Michael’s body and the final burial arrangements remain unresolved.
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