Tragedy as Nigerian TikTok Moderator Found Dead in Kenya After Alleged Leave Denial

• Nigerian TikTok content moderator Ladi Olubunmi was found dead in her Kenyan apartment amid claims she was denied leave to travel home.
• Teleperformance Kenya, TikTok’s subcontractor, denies allegations that it refused her leave request, calling them “baseless and untrue.
• Colleagues allege Olubunmi had repeatedly expressed exhaustion, with reports suggesting over 100 Nigerians at the company lack valid work permits, preventing travel.

A Kenyan subcontractor for TikTok, Teleperformance Kenya, has denied allegations that it prevented Nigerian content moderator Ladi Olubunmi from traveling home for vacation before her death.

EKO HOT BLOG reports that Olubunmi’s decomposing body was discovered in her apartment last week, three days after she allegedly passed away, according to an ABC News report on Wednesday.

EDITOR’S PICK

• Hamas Welcomes Trump’s Reversal on Gaza Displacement
• PDP Crisis: Wike Lashes Out at Governor Diri, Accuses Him of Supporting Fubara
• Gov Zulum’s Convoy Repels Boko Haram Ambush, Rescues Seven Hostages

Teleperformance Kenya, a French outsourcing firm contracted by TikTok, told The Associated Press (AP) that claims of refusing Olubunmi’s leave request were “baseless and untrue.”

However, international media reports suggest otherwise. Colleagues claimed she repeatedly expressed exhaustion and was desperate to return to Nigeria before her passing. Despite being entitled to an annual return ticket, they alleged she was denied leave over concerns about her work permit.

Kauna Malgwi, a friend of Olubunmi, further alleged that more than 100 Nigerians working under Teleperformance Kenya have lacked valid work permits for the past two years, preventing them from traveling home despite having annual return ticket benefits.

Following her tragic death, tech workers in Kenya held a vigil in her honor, mourning her loss and raising concerns over poor working conditions for content moderators and data laborers employed by global tech firms in the country.

FURTHER READING

• ‘My Father-in-Law Is Delaying Mohbad’s Burial for Financial Gain’ – Widow Cries Out
• Tinubu Meets Obasa, Lagos Lawmakers in Abuja Over Assembly Leadership Crisis
• Notable Drummer ‘Baba Onilu’, Who Once Went Viral, Has Passed Away

Efforts to obtain a response from the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) were unsuccessful, as its spokesperson, Abdul-Rahman Balogun, did not respond to calls or inquiries.

This incident is not the first time a Nigerian has died under mysterious circumstances in Kenya. In July 2021, two Nigerians lost their lives at a house party in unclear circumstances one reportedly fell from the seventh floor of Skyhorse Apartment in Kilimani, while the other allegedly collapsed in the kitchen and was later pronounced dead.

Click here to watch video of the week