6th May, 2011
Controversy surrounds the death of a 27-year old Nigerian lady in Saudi Arabia as her mother has cried foul over her demise and called for justice.
Comfort Itunu Ogunkola, a stylist, who was taken out of the country by Mrs. Philomena Adekoya who claimed to be her mother when she was processing her travel papers, died last month in Saudi Arabia.
She was flown out of Lagos State, South West Nigeria to Saudi Arabia around January this year without the consent and knowledge of her mother, 55-year old Mrs. Florence Adeosun who lives in Ibadan, Oyo State and her brother who lives in Lagos.
P.M.NEWS gathered that Ogunkola, mother of one, was promised a job in Saudi Arabia with Mr. and Mrs. Olukoko.
According to her mom, she learnt Comfort had travelled when she received a call from her with a foreign number in February.
“I was surprised and asked how she got to Saudi Arabia. She told me it was Philomena whom I never knew,†her mother explained.
However, about a month later, a call came through Adekoya to Comfort’s brother that she had died after discovering she was six weeks pregnant.
The family started suspecting foul play when another call came that she died of exhaustion after styling about 70 people’s hair.
An uncle of the deceased, who lives in the United States, Henry Olonishaye first drew the attention of P.M.NEWS to the incident and directed us to the mother of the deceased.
A sister of the deceased, Shade, who lives in Abuja said she had to visit Adekoya who lives at Unity Close, Shangisha, Lagos to know the true state of things but that she was almost lynched by some boys who claimed Comfort’s family was ungrateful.
The matter was reported at Homicide section of the State Criminal Investigation Department, SCID, Alagbon Police Station and Adekoya was arrested but was released on bail after Shade insisted on seeing the corpse of Comfort to which Mrs. Olukoko, who took custody of the deceased in Saudi Arabia agreed.
The solicitor to the Olukokos, Mr. Amos Owiye promised to process the document for the arrival of the corpse, pay for the mortuary and autopsy fees and possibly compensation if the family demanded for it.
The corpse of Comfort came aboard Emirate Airline last Wednesday at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport to be received by his family and the Olukokos’ lawyer, Owiye.
It would have been a closed case but for the mild drama that ensued when the corpse arrived at 12.30 pm that day.
The documents presented by Owiye had Comfort Itunu Oleghe as the name of the deceased but there was neither picture nor passport attached to identify her.
When the mother insisted on seeing the corpse, the lawyer was alleged to have taken to his heels with the documents under alleged pretext of going to get a police officer at the arrival hall. After waiting for over 30 minutes, the corpse was taken back through Gate 1.
After reporting the matter to the police, the corpse of Comfort was later deposited at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, LASUTH mortuary, Ikeja awaiting autopsy as demanded by her family to ascertain the cause of her death.
The Olukolos, P.M.NEWS gathered have agreed to foot the expenses of the autopsy and the burial of the deceased.
—Kazeem Ugbodaga