Several youth advisory board members quit over woman's fall
An arrest warrant issued by the Criminal Court noted that a dispute had taken place between Raud and Yumnu prior to the fall.
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Several members of the Youth Advisory Board have resigned following public demonstrations related to the fall of 21-year-old Hawwa Yumnu Rasheed from the ninth floor of H. Fentenoige and landed on the rooftop of the H. Mataz warehouse.
Some board members cited solidarity with youth protesters calling for justice in the case as the reason for their resignation.
Three members – Aminath Rabaab, Huwaina Mohamed Nihad, and Fatimath Raaia Shareef – publicly announced their resignations via Instagram.
Another member, Nimal Hameed, also stated his decision to resign in an Instagram story.
Board member Dhalouf Ahmed posted on social media platform X that he had stepped down from the board five months ago.
The total number of resignations has not been officially confirmed, and it remains unclear how many members continue to serve on the board.
The Youth Advisory Board was chaired by Daud Ahmed Zalil, the brother of Raud Ahmed Zilal, who shared a residence with Yumnu. Daud has been removed from his role and suspended without pay from his position as Under Secretary for Strategic Communications at the President’s Office.
Vice-President of the board, Nazaha Nazeem, initially confirmed that additional resignations had taken place. However, in a later social media post, she expressed hesitation about her earlier comments and confirmed only that some members had resigned.
Raud Ahmed Zilal, 21, was present with Yumnu at the time of the incident. He is the nephew of Transport Minister Mohamed Ameen. Prior to the incident, Yumnu had attended a birthday gathering held at an apartment in a building belonging to Ameen’s family.
Allegations have been raised regarding potential interference in the police investigation. Police confirmed that Raud had consumed alcohol and noted the possibility of intoxication among other attendees. However, no drug tests were conducted on individuals other than Raud, and no further action has been taken against the other attendees.
Raud was detained for five days, and the passports of seven individuals were confiscated following two nights of protest led by youth demonstrators. Protesters have stated that they intend to continue gathering nightly until justice is achieved.
Initially, police maintained that Raud was the only person involved in the incident. He was later arrested on grounds of non-cooperation with the investigation. An arrest warrant issued by the Criminal Court noted that a dispute had taken place between Raud and Yumnu prior to the fall. The warrant also revealed that Raud informed someone of Yumnu’s disappearance and speculated that she may have fallen.
