Foreign
Nigerian mother accuses UK police over daughter’s death
What do you miss about your daughter since her death?
I miss everything about my daughter, her beautiful smile, infectious laugh, lovely personality and more than anything speaking to her and feeling so proud of the strong, confident and independent woman she had become. She was very charismatic and intelligent, with so much to give the world, and was fun to be with, she was also very kind-hearted and generous and I miss her more than words can express.
Since her dad returned to Nigeria in 2012, how did you relate with her as a mother to daughter in the UK?
My children are my world and Alanis was my only daughter who I loved unconditionally. Alanis and I were extremely close and over the years I was her confidant and supported her through the many obstacles and challenges she faced. Alanis was not someone who accepted the mundane; she was an achiever and exceptionally gifted from a very early age and became someone who knew exactly what she wanted in life. I’ve lost count of the number of times my heart has burst with pride at the ambitious, determined and highly motivated woman she was.
Could you let me know when you knew about her relationship with Ryan Leggetts?
Alanis told me on 30th May 2022, whilst she was working for KPMG and working towards completion of her professional accounting qualifications that she was introduced to Ryan Leggett via a blind date set up by her alleged best friend, Serena Gate. Gate later became an accessory to Ryan in his attempt to hide his behaviour towards Alanis to mislead and blatantly lie; not only to us but to subsequent investigation into her death.
Did you sense anything untoward during this period?
By August 1, 2022, I got a very distressed call from Alanis because he had infected her with Herpes. Alanis told me he had ruined her life. I supported her over the following weeks through numerous calls and messages and through the treatment she had to undertake. It was at this point I began to sense that she had resigned herself to being with him, he had essentially trapped her – for life. More importantly, he must have been aware that he was a carrier. From then on I was concerned that her acceptance of something like that was so out of character for her. I knew she was under immense pressure working and studying to a very high level and began to think he was an unnecessary distraction from what I knew she wanted to achieve. However, over the following months, it became increasingly obvious that something was not right but by this point, he had manipulated her into believing he was the only one who could help her; slowly but surely isolating her from her friends and family, imposing what he wanted her to do, to know where she was and what she was doing at all times. For me, as her mother, fearing that she was being controlled by this person I regularly attempted to ask if everything was ok. She appeared fearful to criticise him and over the next few months, her calls and messages gradually tailed off. Alanis appeared to be in increasing financial distress when previously she prided herself on her ability to manage and save at the same time, having no financial issues before she met Ryan, something he has since been unable to disprove or deny. In the case of someone who previously had ultimate control of her own life, it’s important to remember she was about to achieve exactly what she set out to do. As much as parents would love to believe they can protect their children it is clear that there are manipulative and controlling people who prey on their victims’ vulnerability and go to great lengths to hide their behaviour that you don’t know about. A significant reason for his behaviour was to exert control over her, eventually “helping her” to decide to leave KPMG and take a job ten minutes away from home. He stole our daughter’s life and we will not stop until we have justice for Alanis. I will always maintain that if Alanis had not met him she would not be in the mindset she was to take her own life and would be here today. Alanis had the world at her feet, highly educated and successful, popular and confident.
How did you receive her distress call?
On May 28, 2023, I received a call from Alanis saying Ryan woke her up that morning, shouting at her and insulting her and also stating he was giving her “one last chance to save the relationship” and it became obvious to her that he had broken into her phone. She told me the veins were bulging on his forehead and his face was turned bright red and he told her “Get the f*ck out of my flat b*tch!”. Alanis was kicked out with just her phone and car keys and without her passport or work ID she needed to collect money and go to work on May 30.
How would you describe your last 48 hours with her?
He finally replied to Alanis, who read the messages aloud and put him on the phone speaker several times. During the conversation, Ryan was crying and sobbing about how they could never be together again and how people would need to know why they broke up, he said she had betrayed him and his morals and principles meant the relationship was over. For want of a better term, he was milking it. This went on for hours and Alanis was devastated, terrified as she didn’t know what and how much information he had copied to himself, or who he might pass this information to, she was completely at his mercy, even agreeing to keep to their arrangement to pay back money he had given her and telling me he was expecting £600 from her May salary.
At approximately 6.20 pm on May 29, Alanis sat down to talk to me saying everything was her fault. She had hidden things from him as she was ashamed and scared to tell him and critically; that he had told her he had already told people why they broke up having copied and sent to himself private and confidential information from her phone.
Alanis told me: “It’s tough Mum to find a friendship group, I will have to move away on my own, everyone will know everything about me, and everyone will hate me”. For Alanis, the fact that she didn’t know what he was telling people or the extent of the information he stole. This fact terrified her, who would he tell, would he send information to her family? Could he tell her new employer? Would she lose her job? I tried to reassure her that I would support her 100% and that we would make a plan to sort everything out. Alanis then said around 6.45 pm that she wanted to go for a walk to clear her head, she was aware I had been cooking dinner and told me not to worry as she had her phone, refusing all my requests to go with her. She had already asked me if I would be there the next day and so I reluctantly stayed in her apartment. Alanis never came back.
What did you deduce from her conversation with Ryan while you were with her?
My worst fears were confirmed, he was utterly controlling, had preyed on her vulnerability, being under so much pressure at work and her genuinely kind nature. He was demanding money from her regularly and had even created a spreadsheet to this effect. Nothing was for free and he made it obvious that he wanted the money he said he gave her to help the situation she was in repaid. This included pressure to fund a 6 month holiday around the world that he wanted them to do.
Have you got any invitations from the police since your daughter died?
In short, no, to date, British Transport Police and Greater Manchester Police have failed to take a statement from me despite being a physical primary witness to events immediately before she took her own life. They instead chose to rely on a statement from Ryan – her ex-partner to conduct and conclude an investigation that they didn’t have the authority to do. The same conclusion was reached by GMP because they reviewed a report that BTP had no jurisdiction to conduct. This is an ongoing situation that my family and I desperately need support for to continue fighting for justice for our beloved Alanis. The allegations I made to attending officers who arrived at her apartment to inform me of her death, appear not to be recorded or followed up and should have been passed directly to Greater Manchester Police who have the authority to conduct a criminal investigation. Instead, British Transport Police chose to investigate something they should have passed to the appropriate authority such as GMP and have since persisted with their claim that there is no evidence of third-party involvement. This, in turn, has led GMP to review something that should not have been investigated by BTP which comprised only the statement given to British Transport Police about the circumstances surrounding Alanis’ death. The authorities who are paid to uphold the law and protect their citizens failed up to date to take a statement from me. We have been forced to fight for something we are entitled to which is justice as well as appropriate investigation. It is no wonder we start to ask why the police are so reticent to take appropriate steps.
As a psychologist who has worked with organisations that partner with the police on domestic abuse cases, do you feel the police are doing enough in your case as it relates to Ryan and Alanis?
I am a psychology graduate and lecturer in further education and currently support people with enduring mental health problems to integrate within the local community. I also have experience in the area of Domestic Abuse. As a former Domestic Violence worker, I worked alongside the police and other statutory agencies to support victims in our refuges and within the community. I was not aware of the extent of the abuse my daughter suffered until May 28 and truly did not expect what followed particularly since my daughter showed great interest in my work at that time and was well-versed in tactics used by perpetrators in all forms of domestic abuse.
Coercive control is central to the abuse Alanis suffered and presented as a pattern of intimidation, degradation, isolation and physical, sexual, psychological and emotional abuse.
The Nigerian community in the United States has been thrown into mourning following the sudden death of Eric Ezeokoli, a student of California State University, Long Beach.
Ezeokoli, who was born on October 6, 1960, reportedly died on Friday, April 11, 2026, at Saint Mary’s Hospital after a brief illness.
Until his death, he was studying Engineering at the university, also known as Long Beach State University. Sources disclosed that he had previously lived in San Jose before relocating to the Los Angeles area.
Tragically, at the time of his passing, Ezeokoli was said to be homeless and living in his car, with no fixed address.
The deceased was originally from Anambra State, although details about his exact hometown remain unclear. There are indications he may have hailed from Aguata, but this has not been officially confirmed.
Efforts are currently underway to locate his family members and relatives in Nigeria. Members of the Nigerian community and concerned individuals are appealing to anyone with useful information about Ezeokoli’s background or family to come forward.
A contact person, Paul Kizito Eze, has been designated to receive information that could help trace the deceased’s relatives.
The appeal has also been extended to people from Anambra State, particularly those familiar with communities in Aguata, to assist in identifying and notifying the family.
The situation has sparked renewed concern over the welfare of some Nigerians living abroad, especially those facing hardship and isolation.
Anyone with relevant information is urged to reach out urgently to assist in reconnecting the late Ezeokoli with his family for proper burial arrangements.
President Donald Trump doubled down Monday on his threat to wreck Iran’s civilian infrastructure, warning US forces could destroy every bridge and power plant in the country within four hours and that a truce proposal from international mediators was not yet enough.
Five weeks into the Middle East war triggered by a joint US-Israeli air assault on Tehran, the US leader has demanded that Iran reopen the Strait of Hormuz to international shipping by midnight GMT on Tuesday, or face a newly devastating round of bombing.
Both Trump and Iran have said that a proposal touted by international mediators for a 45-day ceasefire is not yet ready, and in a Washington press conference, the US president dialled up his warlike rhetoric once again.
“We have a plan — because of the power of our military — where every bridge in Iran will be decimated by 12 o’clock tomorrow night, where every power plant in Iran will be out of business, burning, exploding and never to be used again,” Trump said.
Trump had earlier accepted the ceasefire plan was a “significant proposal”, but went on to say it was not good enough. Iranian state media quotes officials stating that Tehran too “has rejected a ceasefire and insists on the need for a definitive end to the conflict”.
Trump said intermediaries “are negotiating now” on improving the ceasefire proposal, which US media reported was being mediated by Pakistan, Egypt and Turkey.
Iran’s military said it would “continue the war as long as the political authorities see fit”.
Trump’s latest threats, including a profanity-laced social media post on Sunday, have sent shockwaves through the international community.
International Committee of the Red Cross chief Mirjana Spoljaric warned that “deliberate threats… against essential civilian infrastructure” are illegal.
But talk of a ceasefire came as the US and Israel were striking targets across Iran, including major petrochemical facilities, and as Iran continued missile and drone attacks around the region.
Iran’s virtual blockade of Hormuz has sent oil and gas prices soaring and pushed countries around the world to enact measures to contain the fallout.
Earlier Monday, Israeli strikes had hit major Iranian petrochemical facilities, including in Asaluyeh on the Gulf coast, the country’s biggest, and another outside Shiraz in central Iran.
Israel’s military said it had also struck Iranian air force targets, including planes and helicopters at airports in Tehran and elsewhere.
Iran’s Guards posted on Telegram on Monday that their intelligence chief Majid Khademi, had been killed at dawn in US-Israeli strikes.
Israel’s military also said it had killed Asghar Bagheri, commander of the Guards’ Quds Force special operations unit, on Sunday.
“We will reach anyone who seeks to harm us,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said.
The Guards’ Intelligence Organisation vowed a “major retaliatory strike” against those responsible for killing their commanders, their official Sepah News website reported.
Yemen’s Houthi rebels said they launched an attack targeting Israel, supporting their backer Iran and Lebanon’s Hezbollah.
The war, which erupted on February 28 with US-Israeli strikes on Iran that killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has engulfed the Middle East and roiled the global economy.
The worldwide oil squeeze has hit aviation, with Indonesia on Monday saying it would increase a jet fuel surcharge and low-cost carrier Air Asia X announcing ticket price hikes of up to 40 per cent.
South Korea will send ships to fetch oil from Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea port of Yanbu, avoiding Hormuz altogether, a ruling party MP said, while Taiwan’s government said it too would take the Red Sea route.
Gulf nations allied with the US have also been sucked into the war, with Kuwait and the UAE reporting strikes and injuries from Sunday to Monday.
Iran has continued to launch attacks at Israel, where the military and medics said four bodies were recovered from a residential building in the northern city of Haifa that was struck by a missile.
Iranian media reported several attacks on residential areas of Tehran, while the state broadcaster said gas outages hit parts of the capital after a strike on a university.
AFP
Some Nigerians in India have raised the alarm over what they described as increased racial profiling and brutalisation by the Indian police.
They lamented visa regularisation challenges and high renewal fees, which they said had made life unbearable in the Asian country.
Some of the residents alleged that some Nigerian students were physically assaulted, adding that reporting to the authorities had changed nothing.
NANS issued a seven-day ultimatum to the Federal Government for urgent diplomatic engagement, warning that it would escalate advocacy actions nationwide if the issues were not addressed.
Speaking with journalists during the demonstration, the NANS Vice President (Special Duties), Abubakar Mallawa, decried the alleged ill-treatment of Nigerians, adding that the association had received multiple distress reports from students in Indian cities, particularly Mumbai, over visa challenges, discriminatory practices and systematic profiling.
He noted that the affected students and other Nigerians engaged in legitimate businesses had faced difficulties in renewing visas, mass arrests linked to immigration status, denial of rental accommodation based solely on nationality, closure of Nigerian-owned shops, confiscation of goods, and, in some cases, forceful entry into residences and detention under degrading conditions.
The group also raised concerns over the visa application process, alleging that Nigerian applicants were often required to pay interview and processing fees but denied visas without clear explanations.
In a recent interview on Arise TV, the National Secretary of NANS, Anzaku Shedrack, said the group had been receiving disturbing videos showing the brutalisation of Nigerians in several parts of India, and called on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to intervene.
A video clip played by the tv station showed some suspected Indians attacking and stoning an individual, said to be a Nigerian, on the floor.
In an interview with Saturday PUNCH, the Education Coordinator of the Association of African Students in India, Rajasthan chapter, Abisola Williams, said Nigerians were going through tough times in India.
Williams also admitted that Nigerian students were seriously affected by regularisation challenges.
The third-year physiotherapy student explained that India does not grant permanent residency to international students.
“It’s either you’re a student or a professional with a work visa. As for Nigerians, we have to renew our visas every year, as students or professionals,” she said.
Williams noted that Indian authorities reserved the right to deny visa extensions to students who failed to meet academic or financial obligations.
Another Nigerian student in Delhi, who spoke on condition of anonymity, alleged that Nigerians were required to pay 10,000 rupees (about N146,000) every three months to renew their visas, a fee she claimed is lower for students from other African countries.
“Other students from other African countries do not pay for it. We were told it was an agreement between the Indian and Nigerian governments for students to pay every three months. I know Zimbabweans who are not paying to renew visas, while Ghanaians pay a maximum of 500 rupees, which is about N8,000. This is just unfair. That’s the cross Nigerians bear to regularise their stay in India. They don’t give us enough time to raise the money. But for other nationals like Zimbabweans, they get about eight months before their next visa expires,” the student said.
She added that the fee was not disclosed during visa processing in Nigeria and that many students only became aware of it after arriving in India.
The student further alleged that Indian police actively track Nigerians, whose visas had expired, leading to arrests, intimidation and deportation.
“When my visa was about to expire, I went to renew it, but was surprised to learn it was 10,000 rupees. After that, the police came looking for me because I had not renewed my visa.
“I have seen male students who were bullied and harassed because of this. They don’t believe we live by the rules. Anything that goes wrong is attributed to Nigerians, and it’s unfair.
“There are people who have faced serious injustice in the hands of these officers. Some were taken to deportation camps. I knew someone who was deported to Nigeria for this,” she said.
Drug crimes in India
No fewer than 50,000 Nigerians are believed to be resident in India.
Analysts believe that the Nigerian community is being targeted due to increased arrests of some people from the country for alleged drug trafficking.
In 2024, Indian agencies arrested 660 foreign nationals for drug-related crimes.
No fewer than 106 of the suspects were reported to be Nigerians, the second highest. Nepal was first on the list with 203 nationals.
Also, 2,356 Nigerians were deported by India between 2019 and 2024, with removals quadrupling from 339 in 2021 to 1,470 in the 2023-2024 fiscal year.
Nigerians are police informants – Diplomat
But a diplomat in India said some Nigerians were being used as informants by the Indian police.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, alleged that such people were usually induced with money.
“Fellow Nigerians report one another to the police when they have disputes. They become informants because the authorities give them a share. When Nigerians are arrested, the police extort money from them, and the informants take a cut. These practices put the country in a bad light,” the source said.
The source also urged Nigerians to comply with local laws.
The official added, “People should ask why Nigerians are being maltreated. What offence did they commit? You are in another country and must obey their laws. Some individuals have overstayed for years without valid visas. Once caught, there may be consequences.”
On the quarterly visa renewal, the official said the issue also affects Nigerian diplomats and called for reciprocal measures.
“As diplomats, our families renew visas yearly. It is an issue we have raised at the highest level, but nothing has been done. The best approach is reciprocity. We should ensure their families get similar terms, while we consider shorter durations for their students.”
PUNCH
The UK Home Office has announced increases in fees for a wide range of visas, residency applications, and citizenship processes, effective April 8, 2026.
The revised fee schedule shows hikes across nearly all categories of applications made both within and outside the United Kingdom. The changes will impact Nigerians and other foreign nationals seeking to visit, study, work, or settle in the UK.
Nigeria remains one of the largest sources of visa applicants to the UK, with hundreds of thousands applying annually for visit, student, and work visas.
Under the new structure, the short-term visit visa (up to six months) will increase from £127 to £135, while student visa fees will rise from £524 to £558. Applicants seeking indefinite leave to remain will now pay £3,226, up from £3,029. Similarly, the cost of naturalising as a British citizen will increase from £1,605 to £1,709.
In a rare exception, the fee for registering a child as a British citizen has been reduced from £1,214 to £1,000—a decrease of £214. Most other fees have either increased or remained unchanged. Notably, fees for the Tier 1 (Investor) visa and the High Potential Individual visa remain unchanged at £2,000 and £880 respectively.
Breakdown of Key Changes
Visit Visas:
Short-term (up to 6 months): £127 → £135
Long-term (2 years): £475 → £506
Long-term (5 years): £848 → £903
Long-term (10 years): £1,059 → £1,128
Visiting academic (over 6 months up to 12 months): £220 → £234
Private medical treatment (over 6 months up to 11 months): £220 → £234
Direct airside transit visa: £39 → £41.50
Landside transit visa: £70 → £74.50
Student Visas:
Student (main applicant and dependants): £524 → £558
Child Student: £524 → £558
Short-term student (English language): £214 → £228
Work Visas:
Skilled Worker (up to 3 years): £769 → £819
Skilled Worker (over 3 years): £1,519 → £1,618
Health and Care Visa (up to 3 years): £304 → £324
Health and Care Visa (over 3 years): £590 → £628
Innovator Founder: £1,274 → £1,357
Start-up: £465 → £495
Scale-up: £880 → £937
High Potential Individual: unchanged at £880
Graduate Route: £880 → £378.72
Settlement and Indefinite Leave:
Route to settlement: £1,938 → £2,064
Indefinite leave to remain: £3,029 → £3,226
Visitor extension (in-country): £1,100 → £1,172
Leave to remain – other: £1,321 → £1,407
Travel Documents:
Certificate of travel (adult): £300 → £320
Certificate of travel (child): £151 → £161
Convention travel document (adult): £94.50 → £102
Convention travel document (child): £61.50 → £66.50
Nationality and Citizenship:
Naturalisation (British citizenship): £1,605 → £1,709
Registration as British citizen (adult): £1,446 → £1,540
Registration as British citizen (child): £1,214 → £1,000 (reduced)
Renunciation of nationality: £482 → £513
Nationality review: £482 → £513
Status letter: £459 → £489
Non-acquisition letter: £459 → £489
The updated fees underscore the rising cost of migration to the UK, sparking concerns among prospective applicants, particularly from high-demand countries like Nigeria.
A 23-year-old Nigerian graduate based in the United States, Oluwalayomi “Layo” Fadero, has been killed after a wrong-way driver fleeing from police crashed into her vehicle in Nashville, Tennessee.
According to WSMV Nashville on Tuesday, the incident occurred last Friday when the suspect, identified as Ray Eugene Padgett, allegedly drove into oncoming traffic while attempting to evade arrest.
Fadero, a recent graduate of Fisk University, was reportedly heading into her neighbourhood along Murfreesboro Pike when the suspect’s vehicle struck her car on the driver’s side, killing her on the spot.
Metro Nashville Police confirmed the crash followed a series of incidents earlier in the day, beginning with the theft of a Ford F-250 truck from a car lot in North Nashville. Investigators said the suspect rammed the vehicle owner’s car while fleeing the scene before later crashing into an unmarked police SUV, triggering a pursuit that lasted about five minutes and reached speeds of approximately 80 miles per hour.
“At about 2:30 p.m., the suspect drove into oncoming traffic and struck the victim’s vehicle,” police authorities were quoted as saying.
The impact reportedly forced Fadero’s car about 100 yards into a ditch, with emergency responders confirming her dead at the scene. Authorities described her as an uninvolved motorist who had no connection to the chase.
Padgett, 52, was later arrested and taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries before being taken into custody.
Police said he is facing multiple felony charges, including criminally negligent homicide, vehicular homicide by recklessness, attempted criminal homicide, and reckless endangerment. Authorities also disclosed that the suspect was on parole at the time of the incident and had at least 20 prior convictions across five counties in Tennessee.
Fadero was said to have recently completed her degree and was pursuing an accelerated nursing programme at another institution before her death.
“She was one of the most compassionate and kindest of people that you would’ve ever met,” her former professor, Janet Walsh, said.
Another alumna, Jessica Williams, described her death as “heartbreaking,” noting that she was killed close to her residence.
A makeshift memorial has since been created at the crash site, while counselling support has been made available to students and members of the university community.
Meanwhile, a fundraiser organised by supporters has raised over $13,000 to assist with funeral expenses, as family and friends continue to mourn her sudden death.
Police said investigations into the crash and the events leading up to it are ongoing.
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