Husband Alleges Illegal Burial of Wife After Wrongful Murder Accusation

Dr. David Love, husband of the late Chief (Mrs) Shimite Winifred Love—Special Adviser to the Delta State Governor on Trade and Export—says autopsy and toxicology reports have cleared him of allegations that he killed his wife.

Speaking at a press briefing in Abuja, Love said he was falsely accused of assaulting, poisoning, and strangling his wife, and further alleged that he was detained for five days by the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Monitoring Team over the matter.

How She Died

According to Love, his wife complained of chest and stomach pains on April 18, 2025, similar to symptoms she had experienced in 2024. Although advised to seek hospital admission, she opted for home treatment.

On April 19, a pharmacist reportedly administered drips and monitored her for two days. However, in the early hours of April 21, her condition worsened.

“She woke up around 2 a.m. asking for water, then became restless and started vomiting. With the help of security personnel and neighbours, we rushed her to hospital, and around 4 a.m., the doctor told me my wife had passed on,” Love recounted.

He added that the autopsy confirmed long-term hypertension as the cause of death, ruling out foul play. “Some members of my late wife’s family launched a public attack on my person to portray me as the one who killed her, contrary to the autopsy and toxicology results,” he said.

Dispute Over Burial

Love alleged that his wife was buried without his consent, accusing the IGP Monitoring Team of complicity in the “illegal release” of her body.

“The Delta State Police at GRA Division and the State Command handled the matter professionally after my in-laws alleged I killed their daughter. But when the IGP Monitoring Unit took over, they unlawfully released the corpse of my late wife even when they knew only I could legally receive and bury her,” he said.

He called for disciplinary action against the officers involved:

“The IGP should, as a matter of fact, carry out disciplinary actions against the Monitoring Unit for illegally ordering the release of my late wife’s corpse to the wrong persons.”

Demand for Wife’s Phone and Daughter

Love also accused the Monitoring Team of withholding his late wife’s mobile phone despite repeated applications for its release.

“I am also calling on the Inspector General of Police to instruct the Monitoring Unit to release my late wife’s phone which is in their custody to me,” he said.

In addition, he appealed to the Delta State government to compel his in-laws to return his four-year-old daughter, Sheila Obiajulu Uyor Oluwashayo, who, he claimed, is still in their care.