A popular pastor battles the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital, RSUTH, over the death of his pregnant daughter
By Chinedu Oguh, Port Harcourt
A popular servant of God and elder statesman in Rivers State, Rev. Dr. Ben Nkpe, with deep pain and anger has written an open letter to the Governor of Rivers State, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, and the general public concerning what he claimed the tragic and preventable death of his beloved daughter, Mrs. Gift Aforji (aged 31), and her newborn baby at Rivers State Teaching Hospital (RSUTH) on Monday, 6th October 2025.
According to him, the daughter did not die a natural death — she died from neglect, wickedness, and the commercialization of healthcare.
He explained that for more than two weeks she was admitted at RSUTH, crying in pain and trusting that help would come, “we, the family, bought everything the hospital demanded — oxygen, drips, and every single medical item — yet when her life depended on urgent care, she was abandoned.”
He went further to disclose, “On that fateful night between 8 p.m. and 2 a.m., Gift went into labour and gave birth all by herself in the Ante-Natal Ward, not even in the maternity ward. No nurse, no doctor, nobody came. It was my wife who discovered that the baby had come out and began shouting for help, but it was already too late.”
When doctors later decided she needed the ICU, they refused to move her until we paid ₦1 million. We begged to pay half (₦600,000) first, but they coldly said no. How can a government hospital demand that kind of money in the middle of the night? By the time we borrowed the full amount, both mother and child were gone.”
He added that what is happening in RSUTH is nothing short of a market of death. “They wait for patients to die, then sell the same thing they earlier forced families to buy.
“Many nurses and staff are doing business inside the hospital. Everything has become for sale — compassion, treatment, and even oxygen. The pharmacy department is empty of treatments; families are told to run miles outside to buy ordinary medicine for emergency care while their loved ones are dying inside the ward.
“This is wickedness of the highest order; RSUTH is no longer a place of healing — it has become a place where life is traded for profit,” said Rev. Nkpe.
On that note, he called the Governor, Fubara, to rise as a father and a leader and order a full and transparent investigation into the death of Mrs. Gift Aforji and her baby, as well as bring to justice all medical and administrative staff involved in this gross neglect. Reform hospital payment systems so that no patient in emergency is ever left untreated because of money.
Again, he said, this case is not about one family alone — it is about the dignity of every Rivers State citizen who depends on government hospitals for hope.
“If nothing changes, more innocent lives will be lost. Hospitals must exist to heal, not to trade human lives for profit. Justice for Mrs. Gift Aforji is justice for all Rivers people. May her blood and that of her innocent baby cry louder than silence until truth and justice prevail,” Rev. Nkpe concluded.
Reacting to the allegations, a concerned citizen, Prince Sunny Ogbugo, said: “First, I acknowledge that the death of Mrs. Aforji and her newborn baby is deeply painful, and no family deserves to suffer such a loss. Accordingly, I offer my sincere condolences to Rev. Nkpe and the entire family.”
However, he said, “While I genuinely sympathize with the bereaved family, I am of the opinion that serious allegations of corruption, deliberate neglect, and commercialization of healthcare service at the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital (RSUTH) should be presented as established facts without an in-depth and independent investigation.”
According to him, while the family grieves, it will be unfair to condemn an entire institution and its workforce based solely on allegations. “That is because justice itself requires evidence, due process, and fairness to all concerned parties.”
“The family of Dr. Nkpe deserves justice, but justice must be founded on truth. Therefore, until the facts of the matter are unraveled and comprehensively established beyond reasonable doubts and logical conclusions, the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital and the entire workforce should not be collectively branded as corrupt, wicked, or incompetent,” said Prince Sunny.
But Mgbawoji Ezekiel sharply disagrees with Prince Sunny. In his own reaction, he said the government need to take drastic actions about the behaviour of doctors and nurses at RSUTH. “It happened to me in 2022; my cousin’s wife was brought unconscious and was rushed to the hospital at about 2 p.m.; the woman was left unattended to until about 6 p.m. and we lost her. Enough is enough in RSUTH.”
“Thorough investigation should be carried out and the consultant and nurses on duty sanctioned accordingly.”
Diepreye Selema, while commenting, disclosed that he is a victim. “My late wife passed on in 2023, owing to negligence from the Naval Medical Centre at Borikiri to RSUTH. They’re all the same.”
While Godwin Oruenene appealed to Governor Fubara to take the matter very seriously and investigate and sack some of them found guilty. “People should not be dying like chickens; life is so precious, and another man’s dead body is like a log of wood to his neighbours. This is how my younger brother died in UPTH; most of these doctors have their private hospitals. They are not always around; this is the reality of the matter,” said Selema.
Chidi Ogbobula totally disagrees with Rev. Ben Nkpe’s claims: “The truth is that you are already grieving over the painful loss of your daughter, and I sincerely sympathize with you and your family.
“However, the allegations you have made against the hospital and its staff are false, unfounded, and do not reflect the reality of RSUTH.
“RSUTH has a well-trained and dedicated healthcare professionals who are assigned to attend to patients and respond to emergencies. The management, under Prof. Chizinda Alikor, does not condone negligence or unprofessional conduct and consistently holds staff accountable for their responsibilities.
“It is difficult to accept the claim that there were no nurses available at the Antenatal unit and that only two appeared after your daughter passed away. That assertion, as presented, does not reflect what actually happened.
“Sir, while we respect your grief, we should also be fair and truthful about the circumstances surrounding this unfortunate incident. Please state exactly what happened without making allegations that could unjustly tarnish the reputation and the hard working CMD and his team have built at RSUTH,” said Chidi.
“So sad,” said Emen Bridget. According to her own opinion, the hospital management should be sued if they will not sit up. “If some staff and management are not punished, they will not change. Human lives don’t mean anything to them,” said Bridget.
