Update: Nigerian Govt says 21-year-old Oyo woman jailed in Cote D’Ivoire was wrongfully charged and incarcerated for a crime she didn’t commit

The Nigerian Government has said its investigations into the case of Itunu Babalola, who in jail in Cote D’Ivoire, reveals that she is innocent and was framed up.

NG reported that 21-year-old Itunu Babalola, from Oyo state, is presently rotting in a notorious prison for refusing to accept police settlement of N100,000 for the crime of burglary committed in her house.

A statement issued on Tuesday, March 24, by Gabriel Odu, the Media, Public Relations and Protocols Unit, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, NIDCOM, said that the former prosecutor in Cote D’Ivoire in collaboration with the police twisted the case against Babalola and accused her wrongly of human trafficking, leading to her conviction for 10 years, out of which she has unjustly served two years.

The statement added that plans are underway to engage the services of a legal Luminary to prove the innocence of Itunu Babalola at the Court of Appeal.

Read the statement below…

“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,” 

“According to the Chairman of the NIDCOM, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, the Charge D’Affaires of the Nigerian Mission in Côte D’Ivoire, Mr Mohammed Gana, sent officials of the mission to Bondoukou, a city eight hours outside Abidjan when the case was brought to his attention.

“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 offense she did not commit.

“Reports indicate that the new Prosecutor assigned to the case has given assurances of a fair and unbiased review and retrial of the case to secure the release of Itunu Babalola. Reports also allegedly indicate that the former prosecutor in collaboration with the police twisted the case and accused Itunu Babalolo of human trafficking hence her conviction for 20 years although the sentence was reduced to 10 years from which she has served two years.

“On efforts made to secure her bail, the prosecutor said it is only the Court that can grant her bail as she has already been convicted. We will continue to monitor the case as it unfold.”