Toyin Salau: Suspicious Fundraising Raises Questions On Nigerian Girl Murdered in US

Nine days after she went missing, Toyin Salau, 19-year-old Nigerian-American girl was found dead by the Tallahassee police in Florida, USA.

Before the incident, Toyin had been part of some Black Lives Matter protests against police brutality and had also tweeted her experience about being sexually molested by a black man before going missing.

Toyin’s body was found alongside that of Victoria Sims, a 75-year-old activist who was earlier reported missing. Forty-nine-year-old Aaron Glee has been taken in as suspect, but police have yet to give further details.

While Toyin’s murder is being investigated, events around her raise concerns.

Five days after her disappearance (June 11,2020), two GoFundMe accounts were set up for her by someone claiming to be her brother, Oluwaseyi Salau. Featuring the image of then missing Toyin holding a placard, the organizer asked the public to donate towards “getting justice for her.”

“My sister is passionate about justice,” Oluwaseyi said. “I never thought someone close to me would become a victim of sexual harassment.”

The fund, targeting $5,000, raised $320.

Also Read: Nigeria Govt Demands Justice As Police Arrest Suspected Killer Of Toyin Salau

The other GoFundMe account was more elaborate. Created a day before the other one, the organisers, same Oluwaseyi and one Gabrielle Amanda, aimed to raise funds to support Toyin “when she is found.” The profile had two images: Toyin’s photo and Oluwaseyi’s smirking selfie.

Upon the confirmation of Toyin’s death Monday, Oluwaseyi made an update on this particular account. “I would like to thank everyone for donating…This is a legitimate account…stop spreading false information about the validity of the account.”

A second update was made: “All donations will now go to the family for expenses and assistance…in the grieving process.”

Yet came a third update: “…with donations picking back up, I want to make it clear that Oluwaseyi, Toyin’s brother, is the beneficiary and custodian of these funds.”

At the time of this report, further donations to this fund had been disabled after $9,107 was raised. With the other account, the total sum raised was $9,427. These actions raise some questions.

If someone’s sister is missing, fundraising will probably not be priority. And if she’s found dead, updates about the beneficiary of the fund and its validity may also not be priority—more so on the same day the death was pronounced. Burials cost money, but there’s something disrespectful, if not creepy about the development. Still more questions beg for answers.

A Tallahassee news outlet reported Toyin’s close friend, one Danaya Hemphill claiming Toyin was “a victim of sex trafficking at a residence near the campus of Florida.” In fact, her two friends, one of them Hemphill, accompanied her from a church where she was “seeking refuge” to the house where she was being allegedly trafficked—to pick up her belongings.

The girls even recorded themselves while at it. Her friends told the news outlet that Toyin was sexually abused “a few days before she went missing”—a separate incident from the one she tweeted about—probably involving the trafficker. She even reported the matter to the police. With her belongings removed from the alleged trafficker’s abode, Toyin spent the night with Hemphill, her friend. The next day, she went missing.

One wonders where her family was in all of this—reported sex trafficking, pre-existing sexual assault, and her staying in a church. These are sad experiences for a girl just 19. Added to the reckless fundraising projects, the whole situation raises concerns as to the quality of support she had.

“Maybe they wanted to raise the money hoping she would be found, and use it to help her stabilize and start afresh,” said a Nigerian-American concerning the funds. “She probably needed the help but sadly she didn’t make it.”

Another worry is why the police didn’t act on the sexual abuse her friends talked about, which was reported before she went missing.

In all of these, it is hoped that investigations will provide clarity, and ensure justice for a young black woman with fire and promise, who would not let injustice thrive.

 

Nigeria Abroad.