…Insists Ivorian Ambassador Has Questions To Answer
The House of Representatives has vowed to unravel the circumstances surrounding the death of Ms. Itunu Babalola, the Nigerian lady who recently died in an Ivory Coast prison under strange circumstances.
The House also said that all the action necessary to unravel this case will be encouraged, which may include a thorough coroners’ inquest to investigate the circumstances surrounding Itunu Babalola’s death.
The vow was made on behalf of the House by the Chairman, House Committee on Diaspora Affairs, Hon. Tolulope Akande-Sadipe, during a condolence visit to the parents of the deceased in Ibadan.
Recall that the late Ms Babalola, popularly known as, Becky Paul, was reported to have been sentenced for an offence she didn’t commit in the Francophone country.
Speaking in Ibadan, Akande-Sadipe said that the Ivorian ambassador to Nigeria, will have to ensure that this wrongful incarceration that resulted to the death of a Nigerian citizen is investigated urgently.
Reiterating that the House of Representatives is always committed to the safety of Nigerians in the diaspora, Hon. Akande-Sadipe said that the lower chamber of the National Assembly will not rest until it gets justice for Itunu Babalola, even in death.
She said that 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.
She added, “Itunu will be vindicated and her name will be cleared. It is not going to stop here, I promise.”
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 victimised in prison and appealed to the Federal Government to wade into the matter, urgently.
