Family Protests Over Missing Daughter in Rivers, Accuses Police of Complicity.

The family of Miss Favour Oluwaseyi has staged a protest at the Rivers State Police Command Headquarters in Port Harcourt, accusing the police of negligence in efforts to secure her release after more than two years in captivity.

Led by her father, Oluwaseyi Ogunsinasi, the protest drew relatives, neighbours, and civil society organisations, who gathered at the command premises carrying placards with inscriptions such as “#Bring_Back_Favour.”

The demonstrators also displayed a birthday cake in honour of Favour, who, according to the family, turned 14 on April 27.

Addressing journalists during the protest, Ogunsinasi alleged that he had paid ransom into a bank account linked to one Chidiebere Chikezie, who is reportedly serving a prison sentence at the Enugu State Correctional Centre.

He questioned why authorities had yet to facilitate his daughter’s release or ensure that all those connected to the crime are brought to justice.

“In less than 38 hours of the incident, the number that called, we tracked the number, it showed Enugu Correctional Centre.

The number that was used to register the account, UBA bank that ransom was paid into, we tracked the same number, it was giving us Enugu Correctional Centre.

Now, one of the numbers that the number usually called who happened to be a suspect, we arrested the owner of the number and it happened to be the wife of the guy that is in prison”

Speaking further, Oluwaseyi revealed that upon her arrest, the wife of Chidiebere Chikezie admitted her involvement in the kidnap of Favour, and also confessed to other criminal activities

He further explained that after arresting the wife of the suspect, the police released her on self recognition and without a bailable surety.

He however described the officer in charge of the matter as an accomplice and therefore called for his immediate dismissal from the Police Force.

“The worst part of it is that the Police, which is why I’m holding them complicit to this matter now, CSP Alex, the Commander of the Tactical Unit in Mile 1 Diobu Port Harcourt, Special Operations and Intelligence Team released that lady on self recognition.

It means somebody who recognises a criminal, is a criminal, the commander who released a criminal is a criminal.

I am calling on the Inspector General of Police, to with immediate effect, dismiss CPS Alex and his cohort who destroyed the foundation of this case”.

In a similar vein, Favour’s mother, Oluwaseyi Ogunsinasi recounted how the teenager was allegedly lured away in 2024, a development that has left the family in prolonged anguish.

She explained that several attempts to call on the attention of the police to the situation has proved abortive.
Oluwaseyi noted that Favour turned 14 on April 27, and that they brought her birthday cake to celebrate with the police commissioner, since he has failed to secure the release of Favour

“Last year children’s day, we were here for a protest, they promised us that they will do something, but till now, nothing has been done.

She’s 14 years old today, that is why we are here to celebrate with the Commissioner of Police”

She appealed to President Bola Tinubu, the Inspector-General of Police, and the Rivers State Commissioner of Police to intensify efforts toward rescuing her daughter and reuniting her with the family.

“They should please bring my daughter back. Because I’m missing her every day, every minute, every second

I’m begging the police, they know what to do if they really want to want to help. They should please have mercy on us because this is too much on us”.

The family insists that despite repeated reports and cooperation with law enforcement agencies, there has been little progress in the case, prompting their public outcry.

Efforts by Kristina Reports to get the reaction of the Rivers State Police Command to the allegation was yet unsuccessful as at the time of filing this report.