JUSTICE FOR UNITY ADEDA: Outrage as Delta commissioner continues in office after death of brutalised director

Incident highlights executive rascality, thuggery, say citizens

BY TOSIN ADAMS & ORIAKU IJELE

The retention in office of Delta State Commissioner for Secondary Education, Dr Kingsley Ashibogwu after the death of a civil servant and deputy director, Mr. Unity Ekpevbughe Adeda, who allegedly died after being brutalised by the aides of the commissioner is drawing a lot of angst in the state and beyond, in spite of efforts by the government and organised Labour to broker a truce.

The Daily Monitor on Sunday learnt from many sources that the expectation of many Delta citizens was that the Commissioner, whose aides were implicated in the assault that led to Adeda’s death should have been arrested, or asked to step down.

“It amounts to tacitly supporting thuggery by the government. You cannot resort to treat a case of murder with levity. Nigerian constitution does not guarantee immunity for commissioners, so why has Ashibogwu not been picked up by the law enforcement agents? Things should not run this way. The most the government said was that it would set up a panel of inquiry over the incident, but that is not enough. The man who died from this executive rascality is a deputy director, not just a civil servant. In saner climes, the commissioner should resign from office before anything else happens, and if he is found culpable, would be arrested and prosecuted”.

It will be recalled that the death of Mr. Adeda, a Deputy Director in the Delta State Ministry of Secondary Education, sent shockwaves through the state civil service and surrounding communities. Adeda died following a tense altercation at the Prof. Chike Edozien Secretariat complex in Asaba. Reports indicate that the fatal dispute erupted around the office of the Commissioner for Secondary Education, Dr. Kingsley Ashibogwu.

According to allegations raised by labour representatives and civil rights activists, Adeda was physically assaulted, bound, and detained by personal enforcers and aides attached to the commissioner. Following the physical confrontation, he was rushed to a hospital at Asaba, where he was pronounced dead.

In response, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) shut down the Delta State Secretariat complex to protest the incident, demanding structural safety assurances for workers and an uncompromised investigation into the official duty death of their colleague.   Amid growing public outcry, rights groups, civil society organisations, and community associations have stepped forward to demand justice for Adeda’s family. Organisations such as the Grassroots Movement for Peace (GOMEP), the Coalition of Network for Civil Society Organisations, and the Isoko Development Union (IDU) have actively mobilised to ensure the case is not swept under the rug. These advocacy bodies have called for an immediate independent autopsy, access to all CCTV footage around the ministry’s premises, and a transparent investigation by law enforcement agencies. Their demands extend beyond verbal assurances, pushing for the swift prosecution of all individuals implicated in the assault regardless of their political standing or social clout.

In response to these calls for action, the Delta State Police Command launched a homicide inquiry, arresting one suspect while actively pursuing others named in connection with the assault.

The police identified the arrested suspect as Lucky Adoh, while two other persons named in connection with the alleged assault, Enos Attah and Oputa Okestine, are currently being sought by the Command.

In a statement issued on Friday September 25, the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Bright Edafe, said the Command commenced immediate action after receiving complaints concerning the incident.

According to the statement, the Commissioner of Police, Delta State Command, Samuel Erale, has directed the Homicide Section of the State Criminal Investigation Department to conduct a thorough and impartial investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident and the subsequent death of Adeda.

The investigation, the police said, will examine available evidence, including video footage, eyewitness accounts, medical records and the actions of all persons connected with the incident.

The Command said the objective was to establish the facts and ensure that anyone found culpable would be prosecuted in accordance with the law.

The Commissioner of Police assured the deceased’s family and members of the public that the police would not shield anyone found culpable, regardless of their status or position.

CP Erale also appealed for calm, urging members of the public to refrain from reaching conclusions until the investigation establishes the facts surrounding the incident.

He expressed condolences to the family of the deceased and pledged that the Command would pursue justice diligently and without fear or favour