‘Autopsy cleared me’ — husband of late Delta aide denies domestic violence claims

David Favour, husband of the late Shimite Winifred Love, special adviser to Sheriff Oborevwori, governor of Delta state, has denied reports linking him to her death.

In April, Bright Edafe, the police spokesperson in Delta, said Shimite’s husband informed the police that his wife’s family members are threatening his life for being responsible for their daughter’s death.

Speaking during a press conference on Saturday in Abuja, Favour described his late wife as his “best friend” of more than 20 years, insisting that their marriage was legal and duly witnessed by her immediate younger brother.

He alleged that his wife’s stepbrother fuelled divisions within the family by attempting to dictate her marital choices.

Favour said Shimite battled emotional and psychological strain from work pressures, adding that she had planned to undergo medical checks after completing her last project but did not live to do so.

He said the autopsy report on his late wife attributed her death to heart-related complications.

He presented an autopsy report which listed acute left ventricular failure and hypertensive heart disease as the immediate cause of his wife’s death. The document added that aspiration pneumonitis was a contributing factor.

The findings were signed on May 22, 2025, by Michael Emeka Chiemeka, a consultant anatomic pathologist.

The documents show a toxicology test which detected high levels of C-reactive protein and interleukin 18 — markers linked to sepsis and kidney injury.

Favour also spoke of “spiritual battles” the couple had faced, though he declined to share full details.

The cleric commended officers of the Delta state police command for being “professional and uncompromising” but accused the inspector-general of police’s monitoring unit of “compromise and unprofessionalism” in handling the case.

He alleged that the unit acted illegally by releasing his wife’s corpse and called on the IGP to order the release of her phone while sanctioning the unit for “overstepping its jurisdiction”.

Favour further accused some neighbours of colluding with his wife’s foster child to deny him access to their home and belongings.

He vowed to sue bloggers and media outlets that published reports accusing him of domestic violence, insisting that “autopsy and toxicology results” cleared him of any wrongdoing.

“I didn’t kill my wife. The justice system of Nigeria should not be compromised. Government entities, families, and law enforcement must respect the laws of marriage acts,” he said.

He also accused members of his wife’s extended family, with support from “personalities in Delta state government”, of abducting his four-year-old daughter and conducting his wife’s burial without his consent.

“My wife was illegally buried. They didn’t just bury her illegally, they buried her with the name of her ex-husband,” he said.