Teleperformance Kenya Denies Blocking Travel Requests of Deceased Nigerian Employee

Teleperformance Kenya refutes claims that it stopped content moderator Ladi Olubunmi from traveling home before her death. Despite alleged fatigue due to poor working conditions, the company maintained it did not deny her leave. Colleagues expressed concerns over a lack of valid work permits affecting their ability to travel, prompting a vigil and community outcry.

Teleperformance Kenya, a subcontractor for TikTok, has refuted allegations that it prevented Nigerian content moderator Ladi Olubunmi from returning to Nigeria prior to her untimely death. According to ABC News, her body was found in her apartment, decomposed, three days after she reportedly passed away. The company clarified to the Associated Press that it did not refuse Olubunmi’s leave request.

International media sources indicated Olubunmi’s coworkers claimed she had shown signs of fatigue and was eager to go back to Nigeria before she died. Despite her entitlement to an annual return ticket home, it was suggested that leave was denied due to work permit issues. Teleperformance Kenya has described these allegations as “baseless and untrue.”

Having relocated to Kenya in 2022 as a content moderator for TikTok through Teleperformance, Olubunmi’s death has sparked concern among her peers. During a vigil organized in her memory, fellow content moderators voiced their grievances regarding poor working conditions that they believe may have contributed to her passing. Reports state that over 100 Nigerian employees within Teleperformance lack valid work permits and have faced restrictions on traveling home, despite the availability of annual return tickets.

Kauna Malgwi, a friend of the deceased, stated, “More than 100 Nigerians are working under Teleperformance who haven’t had work permits for the last two years, and so they have not been able to travel home despite having an annual return ticket benefit.” Despite attempts to reach out for comments, Abdulrahman Balogun of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission did not respond to inquiries regarding the incident.

This tragic event marks another instance of a Nigerian losing their life under mysterious circumstances in Kenya. A similar incident occurred in July 2021, where two Nigerians died during a house party under uncertain conditions, raising further questions about the safety of expatriates in the country.

In summary, Teleperformance Kenya denies claims of obstructing Ladi Olubunmi’s travel before her death, asserting they did not refuse her leave. Reports indicate her colleagues voiced fatigue and concerns over work permits affecting their ability to travel home. Vigil attendees are demanding better working conditions, reflecting a broader issue about the treatment of foreign workers in Kenya. This incident echoes previous cases of unexplained deaths among Nigerians in the country.

Original Source: punchng.com