The Delta State Police Command has taken the State Commissioner for Secondary Education, Dr Kingsley Ashibogwu, into custody in connection with the death of a Deputy Director in the state Ministry of Secondary Education, Mr Unity Ekpevbughe Adeda.
The development comes amid growing controversy surrounding the circumstances of Adeda’s death at his workplace last week, with the deceased’s family and organised labour demanding a thorough investigation into the incident.
The police said the education commissioner was taken into custody alongside three other suspects as part of an ongoing investigation into the death.
The Police Public Relations Officer of the Delta State Command, SP Bright Edafe, disclosed this in a statement issued in Asaba.
According to Edafe, the arrest of the commissioner and three other suspects brings to five the number of people currently in police custody in connection with the case.
“This brings to five (5) the number of persons currently in police custody in connection with the investigation into the death of Mr Adeda,” the police spokesman stated.
The command also announced that it had launched a manhunt for two other persons whom investigators consider important to the ongoing inquiry.
The two individuals identified by the police are Mrs Clementine Ufuoma, Director of Basic and Secondary Education, and Clement Apia, who serves as the driver to the Commissioner for Secondary Education.
According to the police, their presence is required to assist investigators in further establishing the circumstances surrounding Adeda’s death.
The Commissioner of Police in Delta State, CP Samuel E. Erale, reportedly warned the two persons to make themselves available to the police without further delay.
Edafe said the police commissioner had advised the two suspects, wherever they might be, to report to the command promptly.
The warning raises the possibility that the two individuals could be declared wanted if they fail to cooperate with the investigation.
However, the police have not stated that the suspects have been found guilty of any offence. Their identification in connection with the investigation means that they are persons investigators wish to question or whose presence they consider necessary to the inquiry.
CP Erale assured members of the public that the investigation would be conducted thoroughly and professionally.
The police commissioner also promised that the investigation would be impartial and that due process would be followed throughout the process.
According to the command, anyone eventually found culpable after the investigation would be prosecuted in accordance with the law.
The police investigation follows the decision of the Delta State Government to establish an eight-member panel of inquiry into the circumstances surrounding Adeda’s death.
The state government announced the administrative panel during the weekend as part of measures to investigate the incident and determine what transpired before the deputy director died.
However, the setting up of the panel has reportedly generated dissatisfaction among members of the deceased’s family, who questioned the timing of the administrative inquiry.
The family reportedly believes that the circumstances surrounding Adeda’s death require a more comprehensive investigation.
Mr Lloyd Sodje Adeda, the deceased’s brother, reportedly described his brother’s death as a “gruesome murder” and expressed reservations about the administrative panel announced by the state government.
The family’s position has added to growing public interest in the case, particularly regarding the circumstances leading to the death of the senior civil servant at his place of work.
The police decision to take the education commissioner and other individuals into custody represents a significant development in the investigation.
It also indicates that law enforcement authorities are examining the circumstances surrounding the death beyond the administrative inquiry established by the state government.
The police have not publicly disclosed the specific allegations against the commissioner or the other persons currently in custody. Consequently, the arrests and detention should not be interpreted as a determination of guilt.
Meanwhile, organised labour in Delta State has also become involved in the controversy surrounding the incident.
The state chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress, led by Chairman Comrade Goodluck Ofobruku, has reportedly faced criticism over its decision to suspend industrial action declared by the state civil servants following the death.
The NLC leadership had earlier announced a suspension of services by state civil servants on Friday in response to the circumstances surrounding Adeda’s death and the concerns raised by workers.
However, the subsequent decision to call off the action reportedly attracted criticism, with some questioning the timing of the suspension and the labour leadership’s handling of the matter.
The controversy has therefore extended beyond the immediate circumstances of Adeda’s death to questions concerning the response of the state government, the police and organised labour.
For the deceased’s family, the central issue remains establishing exactly what happened to Adeda and ensuring that any person found responsible is held accountable.
The police, meanwhile, have indicated that their investigation will continue and that all relevant persons are expected to cooperate with investigators.
The command’s decision to place five people in custody and begin a search for two other individuals underscores the seriousness with which it is treating the case.
Authorities are expected to examine available evidence, interview witnesses and persons connected to the incident, and establish the circumstances surrounding the deputy director’s death.
The outcome of the police investigation, as well as the findings of the state government’s administrative panel, could provide further information about the events that preceded Adeda’s death.
For now, the police have assured the public that due process will be followed and that anyone found culpable will face the appropriate legal consequences.
As investigations continue, the deceased’s family, civil servants and other interested parties are awaiting answers regarding the circumstances of the incident and the actions, if any, that may have contributed to Adeda’s death.
The case remains under investigation, and the claims made by individuals involved in the matter will ultimately have to be tested against the evidence gathered by the relevant authorities.
