FG vows justice as Nigerian ‘wrongly jailed’ in Côte D’Ivoire is buried in Ibadan

A Nigerian lady who died in a Cote D’Ivoire prison, Ms Itunnu Babalola (Becky Paul), has been buried at Sango Cemetery, Ibadan, Oyo State capital.

Representative of the family and older brother of the deceased, Mr Olaolu Babalola, told Daily Trust on Sunday after the internment that the family wanted justice for his late sister, saying; “The family knows she knew nothing about the allegations levelled against her.”

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Speaking on the incident, the spokesman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), Abdur-Rahman Balogun, promised that the federal government would ensure justice for the deceased.

Balogun said, “She was jailed and the federal government intervened but we got to know very late. The federal government intervened through our mission in Côte D’Ivoire and we got a lawyer for her.

“Our lawyer appealed the case in court and the sentences were reduced from 20 years to 10 years. Yet, we were not satisfied because we knew she didn’t do what she was alleged of. We were pressing for justice until she was suddenly taken away from the city to the hinterland so that they could perfect her justice.

“Unfortunately, we heard she developed complications in prison and within a few days, she passed on when we were close to getting justice for her.

“This is our message; the federal government of Nigeria is pressing on to getting justice for Itunu Babalola, whether alive or in death.

“We are pressing on for the changes and the federal government has demanded autopsy which they have carried out. Based on this, the lawyer who appealed the case is pressing on to ensure justice for Itunu. Since she is the breadwinner of the family, the federal government will not leave the family.

“We will assist the family to the best of our ability to comfort the pains of losing the breadwinner and their loved daughter.”

In his sermon, a clergy, Daniel Otakoya, said the death of Itunu could be a breakthrough for Nigeria as a nation, urging Nigerians to keep praying for the country, rather than cursing the nation.