FG Rejects Autopsy Report On Itunu Babalola’s Death

The Federal Government has rejected the autopsy report on the cause of death of Itunu Babalola, the Nigerian lady who died in Côte d’Ivoire after she was wrongly jailed.

Chairperson, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa, rejected the report at a meeting with the father of the deceased, Emmanuel Babalola, at the commission’s office in Lagos.

Speaking at the meeting on Tuesday, Dabiri-Erewa, who expressed deepest condolences to Babalola’s family, said that the autopsy left so many questions unanswered.

“I am not a doctor but when I looked at the autopsy report itself, ‘Sepsis Complicated by Acute Respiratory Distress’, that is not acceptable even to me without being a doctor and I don’t think that should be acceptable.

“I believe that Nigeria should not just let this matter go just like that. We need to demand justice.

“How come she just died after everything has been done for her release?

“Again, it is a tough one, it is a tragic one. It should not have happened. If we let this go just like that, others will go just like that.

“How could this have even happened in another West African country? We will do all we can.

“Now that the autopsy report is out, there are more questions to ask. How was Itunu treated in prison? How come she just died like that when the next thing was for her to be released

“Even the lawyer said that the girl was not guilty of the crime she was accused of.

“This autopsy, even to me does not appear acceptable. So, I hope that we would not let the case go like that,” she said.

Dabiri-Erewa urged the media to keep the matter on the front burner to ensure that the case was investigated and brought to a logical conclusion for the deceased to get justice.

Earlier, Mr Babalola, who commended the Federal Government’s efforts to get her late daughter released from the prison before she died as well as getting the corpse released.

“I am not satisfied with the cause of death of my daughter. The autopsy was read but I am not satisfied with it.

“When the Ivorian government took Itunu to hospital, she was bleeding, blood coming out of her mouth and nose, and I did not know what really happened until I heard suddenly that my daughter is dead.

“This has put me in sadness since then. I want the case to continue. I reject the autopsy.

“I want to know the cause of her death. I want the Nigerian government to please help me and investigate further what led to her death,” he said.

After the meeting, Dabiri-Erewa presented a cheque of an undisclosed amount to Mr Babalola as support from NiDCOM to the family.