Outrage As Nigerian Lady Wrongfully Jailed In Ivory Coast Dies

Posted by Nwa Diokpa Latest Headlines, News Across Nigeria Monday, November 15th, 2021

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) -Nigerians have taken to social media to express disgust concerning the death of a ‘wrongfully jailed’ Nigerian lady, Itunu Babalola.

According to available information, 21-year-old Babalola from Oyo State was a trader based in Bondoukou, Cote d’Ivoire. Her apartment had been burgled by an Ivorian in September 2019 and she had reported the incident to the police. However, the DPO told her that the suspect was his nephew and allegedly offered her a settlement worth roughly N100,000 to drop the case, an amount lesser than the N300,000 worth of stolen effects.

Babalola was thereafter arrested when she refused the settlement and she was charged to court for human trafficking and sentenced to 10 years in prison.

A journalist, David Hundeyin, had shared the story of Babalola on Twitter in March 2021 and the Nigerians In Diaspora Commission had stated that it was working to prove the innocence of Babalola.

NIDCOM, headed by Abike Dabiri-Erewa, had confirmed the report that the lady was charged and incarcerated for a crime she didn’t commit.

“Following painstaking investigations by the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission and the Nigeria Mission in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire, it is now confirmed that Itunu Babalola, a Nigerian living in Abidjan was wrongfully charged and incarcerated for a crime she did not commit.

“Plans are underway to engage the services of a legal luminary to prove the innocence of Itunu Babalola at the Court of Appeal after the accused had spent two years out of a ten-year jail term for an offence she did not commit,” the commission had promised in a statement.

However, many Nigerians were shocked on Sunday night when Hundeyin, who had been keeping abreast of the case gave serial updates that Babalola’s contracted an infection during her stay in the Ivorian prison.

He also uploaded photos of the young lady in an emergency situation being attended to on a stretcher by medical personnel.

Some were gutted that eight months after NIDCOM promised to ensure justice was served on the matter and secure the lady’s freedom, Babalola was still incarcerated in the Francophone West African nation.

Also, many were equally heartbroken when Hundeyin announced hours later that the young lady gave up the ghost.

“I have just received a message from Cote d’Ivoire about Itunu Babalola. She is still in prison in Abidjan where she has contracted a serious infection and apparently she is dying. All those promises by NIDCOM, Abike Dabiri, OYSG etc – audio. She’s finally dying,” Hundeyin wrote.

“Itunu is dead. She died this night. Just confirmed,” he later tweeted.

This development attracted over 1,100 retweets and over 3,500 comments as many Nigerians took to their Twitter handles to blast NIDCOM for allegedly neglecting the lady.

@DavidHundeyin stated, “Nigeria does absolutely nothing for the citizens, especially southerners but expects the citizens to love the country and uphold some magical patriotism. RIP Itunu. So sorry to her family.”