Commissioner Denies Assault As Delta Ministry Worker Dies

Tension has reportedly enveloped the Delta State Ministry of Secondary Education and the Prof. Chike Edosie Secretariat in Asaba following the death of a senior official after an alleged altercation on the ministry’s premises.

According to Sahara Reporters, the deceased was identified as Unity Ekpevbughe Adeda, a Deputy Director in the Ministry of Secondary Education.

Sources who spoke with Sahara Reporters on the incident alleged that Adeda was beaten during a confrontation involving the Commissioner for Secondary Education, Kingsley Ashibogwu, his police orderly and driver.

However, Ashibogwu denied ordering the assault or taking part in any attack on the deceased, offering a different account of the incident.

A sister of Adeda, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed his death but said the family was yet to receive a full account of what transpired.

She said, “Though, as we talk, we have not been briefed about what actually led to his beating to death. I was not there, but that was the information at our disposal. Even the video of the incident is currently with the director of examinations in the state.”

A ministry source also claimed that the confrontation began after the commissioner allegedly asked Adeda whether he knew him.

According to the source, Adeda reportedly replied that he did not, after which the commissioner allegedly ordered his orderly and driver to assault him.

The source said Adeda was subsequently rushed to the Federal Medical Centre, Asaba, after he allegedly fell into a coma.

“Though I was not there when the incident happened, what we heard was that the commissioner asked Mr Unity if he knew him; he replied he doesn’t know him; the commissioner then ordered his police orderly and driver to beat him up, and he was mercilessly beaten by the commissioner, his police orderly and driver, and he fell into a coma before he was rushed to the Federal Medical Centre, Asaba and later died,” the source alleged.

The deceased was later taken to the Asaba Specialist Hospital, where his remains were deposited in the mortuary.

The source further alleged that Adeda had recently been redeployed from the ministry’s field office in Isoko South Local Government Area.

It was also claimed that the incident followed a disagreement between Adeda and the Director of Examinations, who allegedly contacted the commissioner over the matter.

“The deceased had an issue with the director of exams, and the director called in the commissioner. As the commissioner came, instead of handling the issue in a mature way, he ordered the beating of the deceased,” the source alleged.

The source further claimed that Adeda was detained after the alleged assault rather than being taken immediately for medical attention.

“Sadly, after beating him, rather than taking him to the hospital for treatment, the commissioner ordered that he be detained again. The video of everything that happened is with the director of exams,” the source said.

It was gathered that Governor Sheriff Oborevwori had been informed about the incident.

Commissioner Denies Assault

Ashibogwu, however, rejected the allegation that he ordered anyone to beat Adeda, saying he was summoned to the ministry following a distress call from the Director of Examinations.

“I only got a distress call from my director of exams that there is a man attacking them and threatening to kill anyone that comes his way. I rushed down to the scene and saw the man,” the commissioner said.

Ashibogwu said he asked Adeda whether he knew him, but alleged that the deceased responded aggressively and threatened anyone who approached him.

“I asked if he knew me, but he said he did not need to know me, saying he would kill anyone who came his way. I have not met him once, apart from one time he was accused of extortion and I called to caution him. At that point, he became violent and began to attack me. I was left with wounds,” he said.

The commissioner denied participating in any assault or instructing his security personnel to attack Adeda.

“I never ordered anybody to attack or beat him. I am not a violent person. I can’t lie against a dead body, God bears me witness,” Ashibogwu said.