Delta State Commissioner for Secondary Education, Dr Kingsley Ashibogwu, has been taken into police custody over the death of Unity Ekpevbughe Adeda, a Deputy Director in the state Ministry of Secondary Education.
Ashibogwu was arrested alongside three other suspects as the Delta State Police Command widened its investigation into the circumstances surrounding Adeda’s death.
The latest development was disclosed on Monday night by the command’s spokesperson, SP Bright Edafe, who said the number of people currently being held in connection with the case had risen to five.
“The Delta State Police Command, in continuation of the investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of Mr Unity Ekpevbughe Adeda, Deputy Director in the Delta State Ministry of Secondary Education, has taken into custody the Commissioner for Secondary Education, Dr. Kingsley Ashibogwu, alongside three other suspects in connection with the case,” the statement said.
“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.
However, the command also announced a fresh manhunt for two other individuals it said were 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.
According to the police, “the presence” of the two persons “is required in furtherance of the investigation.”
The command therefore urged both Ufuoma and Apia to report to the police without further delay.
“The Commissioner of Police, Delta State Command, CP Samuel E. Erale, urges the two suspects, wherever they may be, to make themselves available to the Police without further delay,” Edafe stated.
Adeda reportedly died after an incident at the state Ministry of Secondary Education in Asaba.
Reports surrounding what happened before his death have, however, contained conflicting accounts.
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.
Ashibogwu has denied ordering or taking part in any assault on Adeda.
The commissioner said 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.
“When I encountered him, I asked whether he knew me, but he said he did not want to know me and threatened to attack anyone who came near him,” the commissioner stated.
The competing accounts surrounding the incident have increased pressure on the authorities to establish exactly what happened at the ministry and determine whether the incident was connected to Adeda’s death.
The development had earlier triggered a protest by workers in the state.
On Friday, September 25, organised labour shut 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. Organised labour later suspended its protest after discussions with the state government and the constitution of the inquiry panel.
The police had also earlier directed the Homicide Section of the State Criminal Investigation Department to investigate the case.
Investigators are expected to establish what happened during the incident, examine the events that followed, and determine whether any individual bears criminal responsibility for Adeda’s death.
The latest police statement did not disclose the specific allegations against Ashibogwu or the three other suspects now in custody. It also did not state whether the suspects had been formally charged before a court.
The command, however, said the investigation would 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 statement added.
The police also appealed to members of the public to allow the investigation to take its course as investigators work to establish the facts surrounding the death.
The command expressed sympathy to Adeda’s family over the loss.
“The command’s heartfelt condolences go to the deceased’s family.”
Recall that Politics Nigeria had earlier reported that workers shut the Delta State Secretariat in Asaba following Adeda’s death, with civil servants demanding an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident.
The police investigation and the state government’s administrative inquiry are now expected to provide further details on the events leading to Adeda’s death.
For now, the police have maintained that the investigation will continue and that anyone found culpable will face the law.
