Rape, Suicide in Asaba: How we battled to save Favour’s life — Father

By Egufe Yafugborhi, Jimitota Onoyume & Ochuko Akuopha

She was 20. She packed a small bag in Warri and boarded a bus to Asaba, Delta State capital, to meet a man she connected with online who promised her content creation mentorship.

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He calls himself ‘Odogwu of Asaba’ on social media. Real name: Ifeanyi Ogbonna, 40, a content creator and boutique owner operating from same Asaba hotel where he allegedly raped Favour.

Seven days later, Favour was dead. Now Ogbonna is in a police cell. Across Delta, in beer parlours and on social media, the question in the court of public opinion is the same: Who failed Favour?

I want justice — Father

It has been very traumatic for the family of Ese Agbro since one of his twin daughters, 20-year-old Favour allegedly committed suicide when she could no longer bear the sad memories of being raped allegedly by a 40 year old boutique operator and internet celebrity in Asaba, Delta state, Mr Ifeanyi Ogbonna aka Odogwu Asaaba.

The distraught father told the Vanguard from his Ekrerahavwe community in Agbarho kingdom of Ughelli North local government area that since the painful incident the family has been in trauma. “The happiness in our home has disappeared. Favour was dear to everyone in the house and the neighborhood. She was a star child “, he said.

Narrating the ordeal of the family to the Vanguard in a very sad tone, Mr Ese who is the father of nine children, all from his only wife, the mother of Favour, said he never imagined that a misfortune of this magnitude would befall him at this stage of his life.

His words: “I retired as a petroleum tanker driver. I have nine children. The late Favour was number six. My wife runs a provision store. I stopped driving almost ten to twelve years ago. I want justice. On the request for assistance, I will be very grateful if people can help us because I borrowed so much from several cooperatives to save my daughter’s life.

“My daughter took the poison in my house unknown to anyone. I heard it was because of the threats from the man to kill her, that the man was threatening her not to disclose what happened. I heard he kept threatening her on the phone.

“When I heard she took a poisonous substance to take her life we quickly rushed her to several hospitals, beginning from a private clinic at Agbarho. They couldn’t manage her situation there and we had to move her through five hospitals before she finally gave up the ghost. One of the private hospitals used an ambulance to take us to the Delta state University Teaching hospital Oghara. She was there until they went on strike.

“The hospital referred us to the University of Benin Teaching hospital, Edo state. Sadly, the hospital couldn’t do much. We had to go to another one at the Ring road in Benin, Edo state. It was at this hospital they took me aside and said there was nothing much that could be done. We had also made deposit payments there. They said the lungs were severely damaged. But they didn’t want to tell my wife in order not to disturb her state of mind. The hospital still recommended us to a private clinic on Airport road in Warri. It was there she gave up after nine days.”

The father recalled that the daughter made personal effort to get justice as she ran to a human rights activist for help after she was allegedly raped.

“She said she had reported the matter to an activist. She didn’t tell me initially what happened. It was the mother who told me. I then confronted my daughter before she opened up to me and how far she had gone. I then contacted the activist she met. The activist even confirmed hearing the man threatening my daughter to deal with her. “

Mr Ese said the daughter was studying nursing at an accredited institution in Warri operated by a clinic before the sad occurrence.

“She was a student of a nursing school operated by a hospital in Warri and she was also assisting at another private clinic. She had been at the nursing school for two years. “

Continuing, the father noted that the biological bond between the late Favour and her twin sister Faith made them exchange the pass codes to their phones, adding that after the sister passed on, the twin sister, Faith accessed her phone to see all the conversations she had with the late Odogwu Asaaba.

Meanwhile, before she passed on, the late Favour recorded a video where she made it very clear that it would be her last. She gave a blow by blow account of what allegedly transpired between her and Odogwu Asaba.

Fath’s voice in her trending video

In the video, she said she pleaded with Odogwu Asaba not to touch her, that she was a virgin.

In the video which is already trending, Faith said: “My name is Favour from Warri, this will be the last video the whole world will be seeing from me. By the time you see this video, I am already dead. The cause of the death is Odogwu Asaba. He has a boutique and he is a big content creator. Today is 14th that I made this video. Two Fridays ago we met online. I texted him to advise me, that I needed help. I am a virgin. He said I should come to meet him in Asaba. He did not tell me he would sleep with me. He said he would help me. My phone is in disappear mode but his would have all the conversation. I went to the motor park, he sent me transport fare. I only told my twin sister I was going to Asaba and I gave her the name of the man and his phone number. He took me to a hotel and said he stayed there.

“I was not scared because I didn’t know he would do anything like having sex with me. I felt as a popular person he would not want to tarnish his name. I reminded him that I was a virgin and if I should do it (have my first sex), it should be with someone I was dating. I told him I could not do it for money. We did not bargain sex for money. But he pulled my clothes……”

Meantime, Odogwu Asaba has since been arrested by the police. The father of the late Favour confirmed that she has been buried.

Police Position

Delta State Police Command confirmed the arrest on July 15. The case, according to police, began with a petition from Favour’s family. In a statement signed by SP Bright Edafe, Police PRO, the Command said Favour travelled to Asaba on June 1, 2026, “at the invitation of the suspect, who had offered to train her in content creation.

“Upon her arrival in Asaba, the suspect took her to a hotel, where he allegedly raped her and subjected her to physical violence. She returned home visibly distressed and disclosed the incident to her parents.

“In the aftermath, the deceased made a video in which she recounted her experience and the emotional distress suffered. She subsequently committed suicide by ingesting a toxic substance and later died despite efforts to save her life. The suspect is in custody and will be charged. No aspect of the allegations will be overlooked.” Police said Ogbonna “made useful statements” during preliminary questioning and that investigation is ongoing.

What Happens Next

For now, two questions need to be answered over Asaba and Warri: Was Favour failed by a man who allegedly used influence to lure her? Or was she failed by a society, a system, and an internet that let her walk into that room alone? The court will decide guilt or innocence.

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