The Federal Government of Nigeria and some of its Embassy officials in Cote d Voire have been accused of being complacent in the travails of late Itunu Babalola. The sudden death of citizen Itunu in a foreign prison over some trumped up charges has once again led to Nigerians call for a critique of Nigeria's public policy thrust.

Althouh the Federal Government has ordered an investigation to unravel the immediate and remote circumstances leading to the death of the young lady, said to be wrongly accused of human trafficking and hurriedly sentenced to twenty years in prison custody.

Federal Government announced this move via a statement signed by the Chairman, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa and released by the Commission's Head of Media, Abdur-Rahman Balogun.

Although, the Ministry says Itunnu's case was drawn to the attention of NIDCOM about five months ago, family sources say otherwise. The family has accused some staffs of the Nigerian Embassy in Cote d Ivoire of extorting them under the guise to free Itunu from detention for more than a year now. 

As a fact, a Nigerian freelance journalist, David Hundeyin, did not only personally investigate and called Government's attention to her plight. He also had to discreetly travel down to the African country in pursuance of the case. 

He accused some Nigerians in that country's Embassy of colluding with Local Police to sexually assault, indiscriminatately arrest and extort young ladies from Nigeria. There are pictorial and audio evidence to their acxusations. What is not clear is how the Federal Government will react to these claims, going forward.

Dabiri-Erewa,described the death of Itunnu 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.

"Unfortunately, Itunnu died abruptly while all hands were on deck to seek both legal and diplomatic intervention for her by Nigeria."

She was sentenced to twenty years imprisonment for an offence she vehemently denied committing. In fact, she had accused an Ivorian of robbery at her residence and insisted on filing a case against him. She alleged to have been offered money to drop charges but she declined, because what she was offered was to small compared to what she lost. The accused happens to be related to an Ivorian Police man.

She reportedly insisted and went ahead to file charges against him, allegedly under a pseudonym (a fake/unreal name). She said she did this to protect herself againat soke perceived threats. In any case, a case of robbery which she filed mysteriously turned to a case of human trafficking against the young Nigerian.

She was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment. The Nigerian mission in Cote Divoire, in conjunction with the Nigerian community claimed to have gotten her a lawyer, paid part payment of legal fees for an appeal of the judgment. 

It was also claimed that they sought the diplomatic intervention from the Nigeria Ministry of Foreign Affairs. While the appeal case was on, Itunu was said to have had a medical emergency and was rushed to the hospital. She died suddenly after a few days of admission at the Hospital.

The NIDCOM boss also stated that "Her death, will not stop the appeal in court in order to vindicate her of the charges against her".

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