Nigerian businessman disagrees with coroners’ inquest into British daughter’s death

Oladapo Ogundipe, a Nigerian businessman, has criticised the verdict of a coroner's inquest into his daughter Alanis's suicide death, which occurred on May 29, 2023, in the United Kingdom, almost a year ago.

The 26-year-old accountant is reported to have committed suicide at a Manchester, United Kingdom, station by jumping into a moving train.
The late Alanis reportedly carried out the deed in response to what is said to have been blackmailed by her boyfriend, Ryan Leggetts.

According to her father Oladapo, Leggets allegedly got into her phone, copied her documents, and threatened to make her personal information public.

But he was worried about the response he received after providing some proof to the police.

In Bolton, Manchester, on Wednesday and Thursday of last week, there was a preliminary inquest into the incident.

The father of the deceased said he was first prevented from testifying against Leggetts, who was present at the hearing, despite his dissatisfaction with the way the inquiry was conducted on the last day.

Oladapo claimed that the attorney defending his family told the court he couldn't do so, following his wife Josephine's instructions.

"I'm not happy with the inquest's conclusion," he declared. On May 9, 2024, in Bolton, during the second day of the inquest into my daughter's death, I was taken aback when the attorney representing Alanis' mother informed the court that the family did not support my testifying against my daughter's ex-boyfriend. However, the coroner overruled the attorney's objections, allowing me to provide testimony.

Further, Oladapo said that the attorney did not support a question he intended to ask in order to establish that Leggetts did not obtain her late daughter's permission before breaking into her phone.

He claims that one of the inquiries is about his purported refusal to provide the authorities with accurate information regarding his use of Alanis' phone.

He added, "The attorney did not agree with the question I had prepared for the Leggetts, which would have shown that, on May 28, 2023, the day before my daughter committed herself, he had accessed her phone without her permission.

On May 28, 2023, the ex-boyfriend told the police a falsehood, claiming that my daughter had given him the password that allowed him to access her phone and copy her private and sensitive data. He used the new password he had obtained to sneak into my daughter's phone that day, and later on in the inquiry, he told the police that he had used her old password. I wanted to question him about whether or not getting access to someone's phone in the way he did would not have a negative psychological impact on the phone owner, in addition to wondering why he lied to the police if he had permission.

Oladapo said he was not allowed to fully engage in the proceedings and support the coroner's investigation, despite his status as an interested party at the inquest and his right to ask questions.

"Interrogating witnesses is one of the rights granted to interested parties during an inquiry. They have been granted important rights that will enable them to fully engage in the proceedings and support the coroner's investigation.

"Alanis's mother questioned the witnesses through her attorney, but I was denied the opportunity to question the ex-boyfriend, a witness, as an interested party and Alanis' father, the subject of the inquest."

According to the coroner's inquest report that our correspondent was able to view, Alanis committed herself due to unpaid bills.

The report stated: "On May 29, 2023, at the age of 26, Miss Alanis Yinka-Seydell Olushola Ogundipe committed suicide at Eccles Railway Station. She intentionally put herself in the path of a train passing through the station at a high speed with the intent and result of taking her own life.

"There was no way for the train driver to stop the train from running into Miss Ogundipe. Miss Ogundipe acted in a way that was appropriate given her severe short-term financial hardships and the potential end of a long-term relationship in which her boyfriend had shown her love and support.

Oladapo disputed this as well, stating that his daughter had financial access and refuting the assertion.

The grieving father stated that Ryan was the one who emphasised the financial troubles that the coroner had noted, even though his late daughter had no negative credit.

"Josephine never told me about Alanis's mental health until she passed away, but Ryan was the one highlighting financial difficulties," the man stated.

When she was expecting 100,000 pounds from me, why would she be so desperate and commit suicide? Between January and May of 2023, 107,000 pounds were deposited into her account, and 108,000 pounds were taken out. She also doesn't have a poor credit history. Her aunt had sent her 4,000 pounds, and she had recently returned from vacation in Italy. With all of things, how could she have been in financial trouble?

Additionally, if he had truly been supportive and loving towards her, how could the boyfriend break up with her after requesting money from her? He wondered.