Liberia National Police Deny Investigating Nigerian Pastor as Authorities Call for Scientific Autopsy to Determine Cause of Death
An official court document has cast doubt on widely circulated online allegations that a Nigerian pastor sodomized a 19-year-old Liberian to death in Monrovia.
On Tuesday, Verity New Online published a report claiming that Abiodun O. J. Babalola, identified as a Nigerian national and pastor of Living Hope Ministry in Congo Town, was under investigation for allegedly sexually assaulting a 19-year-old boy who later died. The publication further asserted that medical evidence and photographic documentation showed severe rectal trauma consistent with sexual assault.
However, findings from a coroner’s inquest conducted under Liberia’s Ministry of Justice present a different account.
According to the official report, the deceased, Jason Ahimie, 19, a Liberian citizen, underwent a coroner’s inquest and post-mortem examination on February 27, 2026, at the Abraham Roberts Funeral Home. The examination was carried out by the county coroner in collaboration with forensic investigators from the Liberia National Police.
The coroner’s report states that there were no visible signs of violence on the body, including lacerations, bruises, abrasions, or wounds. It further noted that “the anus was observed intact, with no sign of being disarranged or sodomized,” adding that other parts of the body appeared visually intact.
Based on these observations, the coroner concluded that there was insufficient evidence at this stage to determine the cause of death. The report formally recommended a comprehensive scientific autopsy to establish the definitive cause and to address what it described as growing public doubt and speculation surrounding the case.
Verity New Online had cited family sources alleging that the teenager had been living under the pastor’s care for approximately two years following his high school graduation and that communication with relatives was restricted during that period. The report also claimed that the pastor attempted to persuade the family to proceed with a swift burial, a move that reportedly heightened suspicions and led relatives to demand a closer examination of the body.
As of publication, no official autopsy results confirming sexual assault or establishing a definitive cause of death have been released. Authorities have not announced any formal charges against Pastor Babalola.
In a further development, the Liberia National Police has publicly rejected claims that it is investigating a Nigerian pastor in connection with the death. Police spokesperson Sam Upriver Collins stated via his personal Facebook account that the LNP is not conducting such an investigation, directly contradicting assertions made by Verity New Online.
The case remains under review as authorities await the outcome of a scientific autopsy to clarify the circumstances surrounding the teenager’s death.
