The Fabiyi family responds to Dino Melaye’s statement on his divorce

Tokunbo Melaye's family have responded to the statement Dino Melaye released a few days ago on his divorce, and explained why this case is important for gender rights in Nigeria. Statement below

On the 18^th of December, Mr. Gbenga (Dino) Melaye released a statement through a certain Toyin Akande (Esq), addressing the divorce proceedings filed by Tokunbo Melaye (nee Fabiyi). Mr. Akande is purportedly a lawyer and a family friend. Tokunbo, who was Mr. Melaye’s wife for over a decade is not aware of any family friend or lawyer who bears this name.

The statement that was released on Mr. Melaye’s behalf was filled with malicious falsehoods aimed at deflecting attention from the very serious allegations of physical assault, psychological abuse and emotional trauma that Dino Melaye has inflicted on Tokunbo over the last decade. (A battered Tokunbo pictured above. Continue)

Our preference as a family has always been for this issue to have been maintained as a private matter because of the three wonderful children that Tokunbo and Dino had together. Since Mr. Melaye has chosen to publicly malign Tokunbo’s image, and to impugn her character, we are constrained to respond to his recent statement, so that our silence is not construed to be consent.

We are aware that Mr. Melaye is a master of manipulation, and is extremely adept at using the press to his own advantage. For far too long, his deceptions have been allowed to go unchallenged by the Nigerian press. For over a decade, Mr. Melaye has muzzled Tokunbo’s voice. But truth is a persistent flame that cannot be forever extinguished. Tokunbo is not one of the numerous women of easy virtue that are Mr. Melaye’s stock in trade. Neither is she one of the government officials that Mr. Melaye regularly harangues for his own gain.  Tokunbo is a loving mother of three lovely children, and she was until September 25^th, 2013 a dutiful wife to Mr. Melaye.