Family seeks FG’s intervention over ‘death of 19-year-old Nigerian in Ukrainian university’

The family of Fadlullah Agboluaje, identified as a 19-year-old Nigerian, has called on the federal government to help them investigate his “death”, which was said to have occurred shortly after he arrived in Ukraine. 

Rofeeha, Agbolauje’s older sister, had raised the alarm on social media on Wednesday that her family was informed that her brother was found dead in his room hours after he arrived at the Lviv Polytechnic National University, Ukraine.

According to her, Agbolauje left Nigeria on January 8 and arrived in Ukraine the following day, when was picked up from the airport by a representative of the school’s accommodation facility.

“On getting to his designated room, he wasn’t happy with the way it looked and also complained that that heater wasn’t effective (swipe to see pictures) so my mum told him to request a change of room,” she wrote.

“So, he went to the front desk of the accomodation facility to report to the personnel on duty, but unfortunately, the person didn’t understand English. So, he ended up reaching out to the liaison officer, the undersigned agent on the letter the school sent before he left for Ukraine.

“This man asked my brother to see him in the morning the following day. My mum chatted with my brother up until 11pm Nigeria time on Sunday. Then on Monday, we didn’t hear from my brother. All his calls were going through, messages were dropping but no responses at all.”

She added that her mother called the liason officer when they could not reach Agbolauje and “he ended up picking his calls later that evening and then gave a student in that accommodation facility the phone to break the news that my brother was found dead on the floor of his room”.

Rofeeha further said the liaison officer sent them a picture of Agbolauje’s supposed corpse.

She said the school authority claimed to have carried out an autopsy but that her family has been kept in the dark about the report.

“I looked at the picture on my uncle’s phone and my brother looked asleep in the blue shirt he wore from Nigeria as seen in the picture, fully buttoned up and in a blue thick fur coat,” she said.

“They said they’ve run an autopsy. Where’s the official report? Why is the school not reaching out to us like they’re truly concerned? Or like they’re taking responsibility. He was already in the school’s territory!”

How did my healthy brother die in Ukraine overnight?

A thread.

That's my brother, Fadlullah Agboluaje in this picture with my mum at Murtala International Airport, Nigeria. He took off from Nigeria on Saturday 8th January, 2022 and landed at Ukraine on Sunday 9th January 2022. pic.twitter.com/egGLjpjCmq

— Rofeeha Agboluaje (@Ladyinyellow__) January 26, 2022

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In a petition filed by one Christopher Juwah and titled ‘Tell Us the Truth of the Death of My 19-year-old Son in Ukraine. A Helpless Mother’s Cry’, Agboluaje’s family called on the ministry of foreign affairs to prevail on Ukrainian authorities to provide answers on how he died.

“Why has Lviv Polytechnic National University not contacted or reached out to us? Is my brother not their responsibility? He was already in the school’s territory!” the petition reads.

“What was done to justify their duty of care for the student?

“We need a statement from the school about what happened to my brother? We need answers. We’re being kept in the dark.

“We want Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, its Embassy in Ukraine, and the Ukraine Embassy to tell the family what has happened in this matter.”

The petition has been signed by over 11,000 people as of press time.

Meanwhile, the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) said it is already in touch with the deceased’s family and is in talks with the Nigerian mission in Ukraine over the matter.

“Our Chairman, Hon Abike Dabiri-Erewa, is in touch with your family already and she is also in touch with our Mission in Kyiv, Ukraine. Further updates are being communicated with the father who has been engaging with the Nigerian Ambassador,” NiDCOM said in a response to Rofeeha’s post.

“Again, our deepest condolences. In the meantime, Kindly send us a formal petition via [email protected] copy [email protected].”

Our deepest condolence.

Our Chairman, Hon Abike Dabiri-Erewa is in touch with your family already and she is also in touch with our Mission in Kyiv, Ukraine.

Further updates are being communicated with the father.who has been engaging with the Nigerian Ambassador.

1/2

— Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (@nidcom_gov) January 27, 2022

Meanwhile, the development comes less than three years after Gbolade Ejemai, a 30-year-old Nigerian medical student, was murdered in Kharkov, Ukraine.