The family of late Favour Agbro, the 20-year-old woman who died after allegedly being raped by popular Delta-based content creator, Ifeanyi Ogbonna, also known as Odogwu of Asaba, has appealed to the public for financial assistance to offset a reported ₦7 million hospital bill and support the ongoing police investigation.
The appeal was made in a video shared by the family’s pro bono lawyer, Barrister Awele Ideal, in which Favour’s parents and twin sister spoke on the circumstances surrounding her death, the medical expenses incurred before she passed away, and the challenges the family is facing in pursuing justice.
Favour reportedly died after allegedly ingesting a harmful substance following the alleged sexual assault. Her death has continued to generate public concern, especially after videos and reported chats linked to the incident surfaced online.
In the video, Favour’s mother said the family still owes about ₦7 million to the hospital where her daughter eventually died. She appealed to members of the public to support the family financially, both to clear the hospital debt and to assist with expenses connected to the police investigation.
Favour’s father also appealed for help, claiming that police investigators had asked him to provide a vehicle to convey them to Benin City, Edo State, where they planned to visit some of the hospitals his daughter was taken to before her death.
“Please, we need you people’s help. Right now, they have taken our statement, and they are saying that I should provide them with a vehicle that they are going to use to go to Benin to the various hospitals that we went to before she gave up. I don’t have anything at hand now. I need you people’s help, please,” he said.
Favour’s twin sister, Faith Agbro, also spoke in the video, explaining how the family allegedly accumulated the ₦7 million debt while desperately trying to save Favour’s life.
Faith said the family borrowed money from different sources to pay for emergency medical treatment after Favour’s health deteriorated. She added that creditors are now mounting pressure on the family to repay the money.
According to the family, Favour was rushed to different medical facilities after the incident before she eventually died, resulting in the heavy medical bill now being demanded from them.
The family’s lawyer, Barrister Ideal, said the family requires support not only to pay the hospital debt but also to ensure that the investigation is not frustrated by lack of funds.
The lawyer also addressed claims that there had been attempts to resolve the matter out of court.
Faith disclosed that before her death, Favour had allegedly expressed some form of leniency toward the suspect because of his twin daughters. She also said her father had shown signs of compassion because of the advanced age of the suspect’s mother.
However, Barrister Ideal confirmed that the suspect had allegedly made what she described as “lucrative” offers to the bereaved family in an attempt to have the matter dropped.
The lawyer said she advised the family not to accept any settlement, warning that doing so could compromise and truncate the ongoing judicial process.
The Delta State Police Command had earlier confirmed that the suspect, Ifeanyi Ogbonna, aged 40, was in custody and would be prosecuted.
The Command’s Police Public Relations Officer, SP Bright Edafe, said preliminary investigation had been conducted and that the suspect would be charged to court.
The Commissioner of Police, CP Yemi Oyeniyi, was also said to have directed the Area Command in Effurun to carry out a thorough investigation to establish the full circumstances of the case.
According to accounts surrounding the incident, Favour allegedly travelled to Asaba for social media monetisation and content creation training after responding to an online advertisement linked to the suspect.
Before her death, she reportedly recorded a video in which she narrated her ordeal. The video, said to be about 13 minutes long, alongside alleged WhatsApp chats, was reportedly preserved by human rights activists and is expected to form part of materials in the investigation and prosecution.
The family’s latest appeal has drawn renewed attention to the financial burden faced by victims’ families in criminal investigations, especially where medical records, hospital visits and movement of investigators require funds the family says it does not have.
As of the time of this report, the suspect remains in police custody and has not been convicted of any offence.
The post “Family Of Late Favour Agbro Seeks Help Over ₦7m Hospital Bill” — Father Says Police Asked Him To Provide Vehicle For Benin Investigation appeared first on TheNigeriaLawyer.
