The House of Representatives has said the Ivorian Ambassador to Nigeria, will have to ensure that the wrongful incarceration that resulted in the death of a Nigerian citizen, Ms. Itunu Babalola, is investigated urgently.
Speaking in Ibadan, the Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Diaspora Affairs, Hon. Tolulope Akande-Sadipe also vowed that the House of Representatives will unravel circumstances surrounding the death of Ms. Babalola, who recently died in an Ivory Coast prison under strange circumstances.
Hon. Akande-Sadipe, stated this during a condolence visit to the parents of the deceased, adding that all the actions necessary to unravel this case will be encouraged, which may include a thorough coroners’ inquest to investigate the circumstances surrounding Itunu Babalola’s death.
Recall that the late Babalola, popularly known as, Becky Paul, was reported to have been sentenced for an offense she didn’t commit in the Francophone country.
Hon. Akande-Sadipe, reiterated that the House of Representatives is always committed to the safety of Nigerians in the diaspora, and will not rest until it gets justice for Itunu Babalola, even in death.
She said the Committee on Diaspora is not satisfied with the result of the autopsy carried out in Cote d’Ivoire, adding that “a thorough investigation on the matter must still be carried out”.
Akande-Sadipe, therefore, appealed to the Federal Government not to let Itunu’s death be swept under the carpet.
“Itunu will be vindicated and her name will be cleared. It is not going to stop here, I promise”, she said.
Speaking during the visit, Itunu’s father, Emmanuel Babalola, in tears, said the family can only have closure through a thorough investigation into the cause of their daughter’s death, adding that through an independent toxicologist, the cause of her death can be established.
Thanking Hon. Akande-Sadipe for her kind gesture, Mr. Babalola reiterated that Itunu was victimized in prison and appealed to the Federal Government to wade into the matter, urgently.