The Federal Government has demanded full autopsy over the sudden and mysterious death of Itunu Babalola, a Nigerian who was sentenced to 20- years imprisonment in Côte D’ivoire for alleged human trafficking.
This was contained in a statement signed by the Chairman, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa on Monday.
Dabiri-Erewa described her death 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.
The NIDCOM boss said, “Unfortunately, Itunnu died abruptly while all hands were on deck to seek both legal and diplomatic intervention for her by Nigeria.”
Recall that Itunnu was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment for an offence she did not commit.
The deceased had accused an Ivorian of robbery at her residence and insisted on filing a case against him.
She also alleged that the accused, who was related to an Ivorian police man, asked her to drop the case, but she refused.
The late 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.
She was subsequently sentenced to 20 years imprisonment while the Nigerian mission in Cote Divoire supported by the Nigerian community, got her a lawyer, paid part of the legal fees for the lawyer to appeal the judgment, while at the same time seeking diplomatic intervention from the Nigeria Ministry of Foreign Affairs.