The Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Diaspora, Hon. Tolulope Akande-Sadipe has paid a condolence visit to the parents of the Oyo-born Itunu Babalola, who died in Cote d’Ivoire prison after being wrongly accused.
Hon. Sadipe while visiting the deceased’s parents in Ibadan, vowed to unravel the circumstances surrounding the death of Ms. Itunu Babalola, following her death under strange circumstances.
Speaking on behalf of the House of Representatives, Sadipe promised that all the action necessary to unravel Itunu’s 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 offence she didn’t commit in the Francophone country.
Speaking further, Hon. Akande-Sadipe said the Ivorian Ambassador to Nigeria, will have to ensure that the wrongful incarceration that resulted in the death of Itunu, a Nigerian citizen is investigated urgently.
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.
Responding to the lawmaker’s 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, as a matter of urgency.
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