Workers at the Delta State Secretariat in Asaba, Nigeria, staged a protest and shut down the complex on Friday, following the death of Unity Ekpevbughe Adeda, a Deputy Director in the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education. The protest was sparked by allegations that Adeda was assaulted at the ministry before being rushed to hospital, where he later died. The circumstances leading to the incident remain disputed, with conflicting accounts emerging from those connected to the matter.
The protesters demanded an immediate investigation into the circumstances surrounding Adeda's death and called for the arrest and investigation of several officials, including the Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Dr. Kingsley Ashibogwu, his driver, Amos Atah, his police orderly, Celestine Opute, and another individual identified as David. They also called on Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, the Inspector-General of Police, and the Delta State Commissioner of Police to intervene in the matter.
According to a family member of the deceased, the family has not received a full account of what happened before Adeda's death. A staff member of the ministry claimed that Adeda was beaten up by the commissioner, his police orderly, and driver after a disagreement with the Director of Examinations. The staff member alleged that the commissioner ordered Adeda to be beaten, leading to his death.
However, Commissioner Ashibogwu has rejected the account that he ordered anyone to assault Adeda. Ashibogwu said he went to the ministry after receiving a distress call from the Director of Examinations and attempted to establish what was happening when he encountered Adeda. He denied ordering Adeda to be beaten and also denied taking part in any assault against him.
The protest caused a disruption of official activities at the state secretariat as workers expressed anger over the death of their colleague. The Secretary to the Delta State Government, Kingsley Emu, visited the secretariat during the demonstration and appealed to the protesting workers to return to their offices, saying that the state government was already handling the matter.
The allegations have not been independently established, and the commissioner has rejected the account that he ordered anyone to assault the deceased. As of the time of filing this report, there was no independent confirmation of the contents of the alleged video. There was also no confirmed police account establishing whether suspects had been arrested or whether a formal investigation had commenced.
The Delta State Government had not publicly released a detailed statement addressing the allegations against the commissioner as of press time. The incident has raised concerns about the safety and security of workers in the state secretariat, and the need for a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding Adeda's death.
Key points
- - Workers at the Delta State Secretariat in Asaba shut down the complex following the death of a Deputy Director in the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, Unity Ekpevbughe Adeda. - The protesters demanded an immediate investigation into the circumstances surrounding Adeda's death and called for the arrest and investigation of several officials. - Commissioner Ashibogwu has rejected the account that he ordered anyone to assault Adeda, denying any involvement in the incident.
