A Port Harcourt resident, Kehinde Ajibade, has urged the Rivers State Police Command to investigate the death of his 16-year-old daughter, Favour Ajibade, who died under suspicious circumstances at a private hospital on May 13, 2026.
Speaking to journalists in Port Harcourt on Tuesday, Ajibade said his SS2 daughter, a student of Orugbum Community Secondary School, died while under the care of a cleric he accused of keeping her against his wishes.
He said he saw Favour at school on May 11 when he paid her fees, and she showed no signs of illness. Two days later, he received a call from the hospital saying she was sick. By the time he arrived, she had died.
The father alleged that Favour had been living with the pastor, who runs a ministry from his residence, since 2025. He claimed her behaviour changed after she started attending his church and that she was often on dry fasts instructed by the cleric. Ajibade said he repeatedly asked the pastor to release his daughter but was refused.
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He said he initially reported the matter to the police but was dissatisfied with the handling and later transferred the case to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department.
He called on the Inspector-General of Police and the Rivers State Commissioner of Police to ensure a thorough probe and deliver justice for his daughter.
Civil rights advocate Samuel Robinson said civil society groups had written to the state police command to ensure the case is not swept aside. He alleged that the pastor’s wife was pressuring the family to accept a settlement, but the family wants accountability.
Rivers State Police spokesperson, Blessing Agabe, confirmed the command had received the report and said the investigation was ongoing. She dismissed claims that the case was not being handled properly, stating that it was being treated with the seriousness it deserved.
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