Please send this letter, with your own name on, to Chief Exec of Arik Airlines ukcustomerservices@arikairint.com Dear Michael Arumemi-Ikhidi, Re: flight W3102 on 23rd January, 2015 at 21.30 Forced removal of Bola Fatumbi and Rafeeq Atanda Bola Fatumbi and Rafeeq Atanda are due to be forcibly removed by the UK Home Office from London to Lagos, Nigeria on the above Arik Air flight today. Bola is the mother of Rafeeq. Rafeeq is a 5 year old boy who was born in England and has never even visited Nigeria. Bola came to Britain more than 10 years ago and has no family or support group in Nigeria. Both mother and son are being removed very much against their will. Bola has suffered from severe mental health problems resulting in protracted hospitalisation in a psychiatric unit and has still been undergoing counselling associated with this. The stress of this deportation process is very likely to cause her to regress back to a point where she will incapable of caring for her son. Rafeeq has been fostered for 6 months because of his mother’s ill-health. He is very vulnerable and has learning difficulties. If they are flown out Britain and left in Nigeria both mother and son will be destitute, with very limited health support. Nigeria is not a safe country for them to be left in with no finances, family or other support. I respectfully request that Arik Air do not take Bola and Rafeeq on board your flight. If they are taken on board I would ask you to inform the captain and flight crew that Bola and Rafeeq are being against their will and that security guards may use force to restrain them. I would also ask you to inform the appropriate medical officer as such forced removals can result in injuries such as broken bones and bleeding. In some cases people have required hospital treatment. In at least one recent case, a man being deported died on board a British Airways flight as it prepared for take-off, as he was being restrained by security guards. I ask Arik Air to look to your conscience, and refuse to take part in this injustice. Bola and Rafeeq deserve the right to appeal against their deportation, especially as Rafeeq was born in England and has no associations with Nigeria. You can play a significant part in righting a wrong, and granting sanctuary to this family. There is a very strong campaign running in support of Rafeeq and Bola. They have over 8000 supporters backing the cancellation of their deportation. Please see the link below: https://www.change.org/p/theresa-may-cancel-deportation-of-rafeeq-and-bola-2?recruiter=216582586&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=share_email_responsive Yours faithfully, Dave Hayward (family friend) 23.1.15