The Delta State Police Command has taken into custody the Commissioner for Secondary Education, Dr. Kingsley Ashibogwu, alongside three other suspects in connection with the death of Unity Ekpevbughe Adeda, a Deputy Director in the state Ministry of Secondary Education. This brings the number of persons currently in police custody in connection with the investigation to five. The police did not immediately disclose the identities of the three other persons arrested alongside the commissioner.
According to the police, the investigation into the circumstances surrounding Adeda’s death is ongoing, with the command handling the criminal aspect of the matter. The police had earlier arrested one suspect, Lucky Adoh, and launched a manhunt for two other persons, Enos Attah and Oputa Okestine, after allegations that Adeda was physically assaulted during an incident at the ministry. The command had said investigators would examine available evidence, including video footage, eyewitness accounts and medical records, to establish what happened.
The police have also announced a fresh manhunt for two other individuals required to assist investigators in the case. They are Mrs Clemetine Ufuoma, Director of Basic and Secondary Education, and Clement Apia, the driver to the Commissioner for Secondary Education. The police urged both Ufuoma and Apia to report to the police without further delay. The Commissioner of Police, Delta State Command, CP Samuel E. Erale, urged the two suspects to make themselves available to the Police without further delay.
Adeda reportedly died after an incident at the state Ministry of Secondary Education in Asaba. Reports surrounding what happened before his death have contained conflicting accounts. Ashibogwu has denied ordering or taking part in any assault on Adeda, stating that his involvement began after he received reports that the deceased had become violent at the ministry. He also maintained that he did not instruct anyone to attack the deputy director.
The incident had triggered a protest by workers in the state, with organised labour shutting the Delta State Secretariat in Asaba following Adeda’s death. Workers under the Nigeria Labour Congress locked the entrances to the Prof Chike Odozien Secretariat and disrupted official activities while demanding an investigation into the matter. The protest came amid growing concerns among civil servants over the circumstances surrounding the death of the deputy director.
The Delta State NLC had demanded that those responsible be identified and held accountable, while also raising concerns about the safety of workers within government offices. The state government subsequently constituted an administrative panel to investigate the circumstances surrounding Adeda’s death. The police investigation is running separately from the administrative process, with the command handling the criminal aspect of the matter.
The police have assured that the investigation will be conducted without bias and in accordance with the law. CP Erale reiterates that the investigation will be pursued thoroughly, impartially and professionally, assuring the family of the deceased and members of the public that due process will be followed and anyone found culpable will be brought to justice in accordance with the law. The command also expressed sympathy to Adeda’s family over the loss.
Key points
- The Delta State Police Command has arrested the Commissioner for Secondary Education, Dr. Kingsley Ashibogwu, and three others in connection with the death of Unity Ekpevbughe Adeda.
- The police investigation is ongoing, with the command handling the criminal aspect of the matter.
- The state government has also constituted an administrative panel to investigate the circumstances surrounding Adeda’s death.
