Toba Falode’s Murder: What’s The Worth Of A Nigerian’s Life?

The killing recently of Oluwadamilola Oloruntoba Falode, son of popular television broadcaster, Aisha Falode in Dubai, United Arab Emirate has once again raised concern over the attitude of the Nigerian government towards the security and welfare of Nigerians living in Diaspora. The 19-year-old Falode before his murder on February 15, 2014 was a student of SAE Institute in Dubai. 

The account of his murder and government’s expression of near indifference leave much to be desired. Oloruntoba’s mother and family have been in anguish ever since trying to find official explanations for the circumstances surrounding the murder of the boy.

This is at the backdrop of Aisha Falode’s complaint of the attitude of Nigerian Embassy officials in Dubai in providing any lead to the investigation of the murder. Ms. Falode in her petition to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, has insisted that the cause of her son’s murder has remained shrouded in mystery and foul play. 

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Nigeria on its part has acknowledged receiving an official police report from the Dubai authorities on the murder but it did not state what it has done with the report. This Newspaper feels that the time has come when the government should show more concern and place high premium on the lives of Nigerians in Diaspora.

The extent to which government upholds the provisions of the constitution, which require it to protect the lives of Nigerian citizens both within and outside, is now very much in doubt considering the ease with which so many Nigerians lose their lives to violent attacks abroad. Indeed, Oloruntoba’s murder is just another gruesome murder among many of such Nigerians in Diaspora. 

In 2013, a Nigerian, Simeon Obodo, was killed in Gao State of India. In the same year, 15-year-old Austin Chukwuebuka Ogukwe was murdered in Ghana. It is disturbing that in the face of all these murders; the Federal Government did not seem to appropriately take up the investigations to conclusive end with the aim of obtaining justice for the murdered Nigerians and their bereaved families.

In her published account of the murder of her son and the extent she has gone in personally seeking justice, Ms. Falode appealed thus to the government, “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 Governement to prevail on the authorities in Dubai to re-open the investigation into the murder of my son, Toba Falode.”

Indeed, Nigerians rightfully look up to the government to spearhead their quest for justice in these unfortunate cases of murder. The existing system of families of victims of murder abroad taking it upon themselves to engage the authorities of foreign countries to seek redress should be reviewed. We feel that government should be more eager to ensure the comprehensive inquisition into the circumstances surrounding the murders of Nigerians in Diaspora.

In the light of the embarrassment this has caused the government, it is important that government reassures Nigerians in Diaspora that the security and welfare of Nigerians are paramount in its transformation agenda. We feel there is a dire need for the government to review its policies in the area of security of the lives and welfare of Nigerians in Diaspora. Indeed, government’s full-scale investigation of Oloruntoba Falode’ murder should be an apt starting point.culled