On the 13th of May, 2013, AIT Sports channel manager at DAAR communications, Mrs Aisha Falode and some eminent Nigerians, Dr Joe Okei Odumakin[ human right activist and president of WOMEN ARISE for CHANGE INITIATIVE ], Mrs Funke Akale, Barr. Festus Keyamo held a press conference on the death of OLAWATOBA FALODE,at FESTUS KEYAMO`S CHAMBERS.
Read below...
PRESS STATEMENT BY AISHA FALODE
THE MURDER OF MY SON, OLUWADAMILOLA OLORUNTOBA FALODE IN COLD BLOOD
BY MR. FAISAL ALDAKMARY AL-NASSER AND MISS OLIVIA MELANIE RICHARDS EVANS AND
THE COVER-UP BY THE DUBAI POLICE
I am Aisha Falode, Mother of
19-year-old Toba Falode.
I’m giving the following
statement as fact in the unfortunate death of my son. Oluwadamilola Oloruntoba
Falode, who was a student of SAE Institute, Dubai in the UAE admitted to study
Audio Production in October, 2013 and Resided on the 17th floor of
Manchester Towers, Dubai Marina.
In the early hours of the 15th
of February 2014, I received a call from the security guard at my son’s
apartment block informing me that something serious had just happened to my
son, Toba. I then immediately called his close friend, Nick Allison, a South
African, who then informed me that my Toba had passed on from falling from the
balcony of his 17th floor apartment.
Upon hearing this, I made
various frantic calls to Toba’s pastor (his guardian in Dubai), to go to the
scene. After which I was informed that the police had arrested all those at the
scene and also taken the body of my son away.
Four family members then
proceeded to retrieve my son’s body and also met with the Deputy Director of
the Jebel Ali police station, who read out the preliminary report to the family
and mentioned Faisal’s name which was mysteriously missing in the report that
was later given to the family.
L-R; DR.JOE OKEI-ODUMAKIN, PRESIDENT
WOMEN ARISE; MRS FUNKE AKALE,DECEASED SISTER; MRS AISHA FALODE,DECEASED MOTHER & BARR.FESTUS KEYAMO,WOMEN ARISE LAWYER.
The summary of the police report is as follows:
That they confirmed that Toba
died in the morning of the 15th of February 2014 at approximately
4am.
That they indicated that this
occurred around the premises of Toba’s apartment, the Manchester
Tower, Dubai
Marina.
That they confirmed that there
were 5 other people with him at the time of his death – (4) four boys and 1
girl - a Nigerian, a French Canadian national, a South African and a Saudi
national. The girl is British.
That close to the time of the accident, Toba
was on the balcony of his flat with his alleged girlfriend.
That Toba was sitting on the
railing of his balcony with his feet off the floor and that he was swinging in
this position backward and forward.
That his girlfriend was still
there with him, and was warning him to be careful.
That she later went inside the
flat and shortly after, they all noticed that Toba was no longer sitting on the
railings or on the balcony, and must have fallen down from the balcony
railings.
That his friends all rushed
down and found him lying dead in front of the apartment block.
That they then called the
Police who took charge of things.
That all statements of the
witnesses as described above were similar and that they were all interviewed
separately.
That forensic evidence
including the examination of Toba’s body at autopsy did not reveal anything to
contradict this version of events.
That there were no injuries on
Toba’s body inconsistent with a fall from a great height as the cause of his
death.
That there was no evidence of
bruising or other injury to indicate anything else could be blamed as the cause
of his death.
That based on their findings,
they decided therefore not to conduct a full internal autopsy.
That if from their
investigations they had even the slightest indication of anything other than
this version of events they would definitely have conducted an autopsy.
However, because of the
various inconsistencies in the Police Report given to my family, and because I
know the apartment layout very well and my motherly intuition I knew something
was not right. So I decided to investigate further by myself accompanied by a
family member and my family lawyer Mr. Festus Keyamo.
L-R; DR.JOE OKEI-ODUMAKIN, PRESIDENT
WOMEN ARISE; MRS FUNKE AKALE,DECEASED SISTER; MRS AISHA FALODE,DECEASED MOTHER & BARR.FESTUS KEYAMO,WOMEN ARISE LAWYER.
We travelled to Dubai in April
and met with some of my son’s friends who were present in the apartment on that
fateful day.
The summary of the accounts of
these friends were totally different from what the police report indicated and
revealed a weak attempt by the authorities in Dubai to hide facts that pointed
to the fact that my poor son was murdered.
This account, the friends
(witnesses) in question volunteered to give as written statements to me.
L-R; DR.JOE OKEI-ODUMAKIN, PRESIDENT
WOMEN ARISE; MRS FUNKE AKALE,DECEASED SISTER; MRS AISHA FALODE,DECEASED MOTHER & BARR.FESTUS KEYAMO,WOMEN ARISE LAWYER.
Summary of account as
follows:
That sometime in December
2013, the said Faisal Aldakmary Al-Nasser stormed the apartment of my deceased
son Oloruntoba Falode and ordered Miss Olivia Melanie Richards Evans (his
supposed girlfriend) out of Toba’s apartment, accusing her of having an affair
with Toba.
That a fight was to have
ensued from this confrontation, but for the intervention of other mutual
friends. Since then, there was no love lost between Toba and Faisal Aldakmary
Al-Nasser.
That in the evening of the 14th
of February, 2014, Toba, together with his friends, namely, Ebele Oladeji
Onwugbufor,
Nick Allison and Joachim
Santene went to a club in Dubai known as M Deck, Media 1 Hotel, Media City.
That at the club, they met the
said Faisal Aldakmary Al-Nasser and Miss Olivia Melanie Richards Evans who were
also at the club.
That again an argument started
at the Club concerning Olivia, and shortly after this, Faisal and Olivia left
the Club.
That shortly after the two
left the club, Toba and his friends also left the club.
On their return to Toba’s
apartment, Toba, Nick and Deji were shocked and surprised to find Faisal and
Olivia outside Toba’s Apartment door, waiting and Olivia was crying
hysterically and appeared frightened while Faisal, however appeared calm, with
a determined look on his face.
That after they all went into
the apartment, after which Toba, Faisal and Miss Olivia Melanie Richards Evans
entered his room “to sort things out”.
That shortly after, the three
of them exited the room and moved on to the balcony of the apartment on the 17th
floor.
That there were signs of
serious argument coming from the balcony with raised voices and flaying hands
by Faisal visible through the glass door of the balcony.
That after about twenty
seconds Faisal and Olivia came back into the room and announced that Toba had
fallen off the railings. However, Faisal had blood splattered all over his
shirt and he had bloody knuckles. There was also a noticeable cut on his
finger.
That at this point they all
rushed downstairs to see Toba’s dead body lying meters away from the building
(approximately 12 to 15 meters).
That the position of my Toba’s
body (which can still be verified today) was not consistent with someone
falling from the balcony (in which case the body would be much closer to the
building) but was consistent with someone that was violently pushed from the
balcony.
That the police arrived
thereafter and arrested all of them to the station.
That before and during the
journey to the station, Faisal kept repeating to the hearing of everyone that
the maximum punishment for him would be twenty-five (25) years in jail and that
the other boys should not worry. Meanwhile, Olivia remained hysterical.
That at the station, Faisal
and Olivia were kept away from the rest and were interviewed separately,
whereas the other three were kept in a separate room and interviewed
separately.
The witnesses were clear that
the above account was what was narrated and written as statements at the police
station, A vital piece of information deliberately omitted in the Police Report
which did not make any reference to the presence of Faisal or Miss Olivia
Melanie Richards Evans on the balcony when Toba allegedly fell.
That Faisal was released
without taking the blood stained T-shirt from him as should have been done in
any investigative matter.
I am appealing to my
Government that I have done much more than I should do as a grieving mother who
was left with no option but to start investigating my own son’s murder by
myself. I implore the Nigerian Government to prevail on the authorities in
Dubai to re-open the investigation into the murder of my son Toba Falode and to
bring to book Mr. Faisal Aldakmary Al-Nasser and Miss Olivia Melanie Richards
Evans both of whom murdered him in cold blood.
The loss of a son is not what
any parent should have to suffer, let alone a brutal murder. I do not wish this
on any one because the pain is not only excruciating but also almost
unbearable.
L-R; DR.JOE OKEI-ODUMAKIN, PRESIDENT
WOMEN ARISE; MRS FUNKE AKALE,DECEASED SISTER; MRS AISHA FALODE,DECEASED MOTHER & BARR.FESTUS KEYAMO,WOMEN ARISE LAWYER.
JUSTICE MUST PREVAIL NOT ONLY
FOR MY DEAR TOBA, BUT ALSO IN HONOUR OF THE MEMORY OF ALL THE OTHER YOUNG LIVES
THAT HAVE BEEN CUT SHORT BRUTALLY. IF NO ONE ACTS EVERYONE IS AT RISK OF THIS
UNFATHOMABLE PAIN.
I am asking for justice for my
son and prayers from everyone that God in his infinite mercy gives my family
and I the strength to bear this great loss.
THANK YOU.
To join the call for justice
for Toba go to:
AISHA FALODE.
L-R; MRS AISHA FALODE, DECEASED MOTHER; DR.JOE OKEI-ODUMAKIN, PRESIDENT WOMEN ARISE; DR
OLUFEMI KAYODE, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, MEDIA CONCERN.
