A Nigerian woman, who died in a prison in Cote D’Ivoire, Itunu Babalola also known as Becky Paul, has been buried in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
Her remains arrived at Muritala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos at 11:00pm on Friday via Air Côte d’Ivoire.
The corpse was interred on Saturday at the Sango Cemetery, Ibadan, at 11:25am.
Senior officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Nigerians in Diaspora Commission were in attendance.
About eight months ago, the Nigerian Government through NIDCOM and the Nigerian Mission in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire, had said its investigation into the case of Babalola showed that she was innocent and was framed up.
The government said the former prosecutor in Cote d’Ivoire in collaboration with the police twisted the case against the lady and accused her of human trafficking, leading to her conviction for 10 years, out of which she had unjustly served two years.
NIDCOM boss, Dabiri-Erewa, blamed Babalola for reporting her plight late to the Nigerian Commission in Ivory Coast after she had spent two years in jail.
“She did not inform the mission about the trial. She had spent two years in jail, then her father cried out for help. Perhaps, when she had issues with the burglar and policeman that was changing the case and reported to the Mission, maybe it would have been a different story,” the former member of the House of Representatives said, a comment that many described as unsavoury.
