Tension has continued to mount in Asaba following the death of Mr Unity Ekpevbughe Adeda, a Deputy Director in the Delta State Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, after an incident at the state secretariat.
Adeda reportedly died after an altercation at the Prof. Chike Odozien Secretariat on Thursday, September 24. The circumstances surrounding the incident, including allegations that he was physically assaulted, are now the subject of a police investigation and a separate administrative inquiry by the Delta State Government.
The development prompted the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Delta State to shut the state secretariat on Friday, disrupting official activities and demanding an investigation into the circumstances of the civil servant’s death.
Police arrest one suspect
The Delta State Police Command has confirmed that it is investigating the incident.
According to the command’s spokesperson, SP Bright Edafe, the police received complaints alleging that Adeda was physically assaulted by three aides linked to the office of the Commissioner for Secondary Education, Dr Kingsley Ashibogwu.
The three men identified in the police account are Enos Attah, Oputa Okestine and Lucky Adoh.
Police said Lucky Adoh has been arrested, while efforts were continuing to locate the other two men. The Commissioner of Police, CP Samuel Erale, has directed the Homicide Section of the State Criminal Investigation Department to investigate the circumstances surrounding Adeda’s death.
The police statement, however, described the physical assault as an allegation under investigation. It did not state that Commissioner Ashibogwu had been arrested or that investigators had established that he ordered the alleged assault.
Commissioner denies ordering any attack
Ashibogwu has denied allegations that he ordered anyone to beat Adeda.
The commissioner said he had received distress calls from the Director of Examinations alleging that a man was attacking people at the ministry and threatening those who approached him.
Ashibogwu said he went to the scene and confronted Adeda, adding that Adeda became violent and attacked him. He also denied personally attacking the deceased or directing his aides to do so.
The commissioner said the circumstances should be established through evidence, including video footage and medical records, rather than speculation.
Conflicting accounts emerge
Reports from ministry sources have offered a different account of the encounter.
Some workers alleged that a confrontation occurred between Adeda and officials at the ministry before the commissioner arrived and that Adeda was subsequently assaulted.
One detail appearing in several reports concerns an alleged exchange in which Ashibogwu asked Adeda whether he knew him. Sources claimed Adeda replied that he did not.
However, The Guardian reported that the allegation of assault had not been independently established and that there was, at the time of its report, no official confirmation directly linking the alleged confrontation to Adeda’s death.
Another report cited video footage said to be in the possession of investigators. It alleged that the footage showed Adeda behaving violently and repeatedly using a vehicle to ram vehicles and property within the ministry premises before he was restrained.
The account conflicts with other allegations surrounding the incident, underscoring why investigators will need to establish the sequence of events from the available video, eyewitness accounts and medical evidence.
Family seeks answers
Members of Adeda’s family have expressed shock over his death and said they were yet to receive a complete explanation of what happened before his death.
Reports said Adeda was taken to hospital following the incident and subsequently died.
The precise medical cause of death, and whether injuries sustained during the reported confrontation contributed to his death, are among the questions that investigators are expected to establish.
Delta Government constitutes eight-member panel
Beyond the police investigation, the Delta State Government has constituted an eight-member Administrative Panel of Inquiry to investigate the circumstances surrounding Adeda’s death.
The panel was established after consultations between the government and organised labour. It is chaired by Mrs Charity Ehimen, Permanent Secretary, Office of the Head of Service.
Other members include representatives of the Ministry of Justice, the Office of the Secretary to the State Government, the Governor’s office and organised labour, including the Nigeria Labour Congress, the Joint Negotiating Council and the Trade Union Congress.
The panel has been given two weeks to complete its assignment and submit its report.
The government said the inquiry would establish the circumstances surrounding the death and enable it to address issues arising from the incident in accordance with the law. It also expressed condolences to Adeda’s family and assured civil servants of its commitment to workplace safety and respect for human life.
NLC demands investigation
The NLC’s protest brought government activities at the secretariat to a halt on Friday.
Labour leaders said workers were concerned about the safety of civil servants and wanted the circumstances of Adeda’s death properly investigated before normal activities resumed.
The protests and demands for answers have added pressure on the state government and the police to establish exactly what happened inside the ministry on September 24.