Federal Government has demanded a full autopsy on Itunu Babalola, a 21-year-old Nigerian lady who died while serving a 20- year jail term in Côte D’ivoire for alleged human trafficking.
This was contained in a statement signed by the Chairman Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa and released by the Commission’s Head of Media,
Abdur-Rahman Balogun, which stated that
Itunnu’s case was drawn to the attention of
NIDCOM about five months ago.
Read Also: Itunu Babalola, Wrongfully Convicted Nigerian Lady, Dies In Cote D’ivoire Prison
Babalola, according to freelance investigative journalist David Hundeyin, said to have died in the hospital on Sunday, November 14, from complications from diabetes.
Dabiri-Erewa, described the death of Itunnu
as a tragic blow “at a time the Nigerian mission in Côte Divoire had paid and engaged the services of a lawyer to handle Itunnu’s appeal case.”
In the statement titled, ‘Death of a Nigerian in Cote D’ivoire: FG demands full investigation,’ Dabiri-Erewa lamented that Babalola passed away abruptly while efforts were ongoing to seek both legal and diplomatic intervention for her.
The statement partly reads;
Unfortunately, Itunnu died abruptly while all hands were on deck to seek both legal and diplomatic intervention for her by Nigeria. Itunnu was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment for an offence she did not apparently commit. Itunnu had accused an Ivorian of robbery at her residence and insisted on filing a
case against him.The accused who happens to be related to an Ivorian police man, asked her to drop the case, but she refused. Itunnu went ahead to file charges against him and allegedly used a different name (not her real name ) to file the case and somehow a case of robbery which she filed mysteriously turned to a case of human trafficking against her.
It added;
She was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment while the Nigerian mission in Cote Divoire supported by the Nigerian community, got her a lawyer, paid part payment of legal fees for the lawyer, to appeal the judgment, while at the same time seeking diplomatic intervention from the Nigeria Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The statement continued;
The staff of the Nigerian mission had also visited Itunu in prison, a distance of over four hours from Abidjan. While the appeal case was on, Itunu was said to have developed complications from diabetes and was rushed to the hospital.
The fees for the treatment was paid by the Nigerian mission through the lawyer whose services were engaged by the mission; unfortunately, she died suddenly after a few days of admission at the hospital.
Her death, will, however, not stop the appeal in court in order to vindicate her of the charges against her.
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