Delta State Commissioner for Secondary Education, Kingsley Ashibogwu, has denied allegations that he ordered the physical assault of Unity Ekpevbughe Adeda, a Deputy Director in the ministry who died after he was rushed to the hospital on Thursday.
Ashibogwu said he did not instruct anyone to beat or attack Adeda, explaining that his involvement in the incident followed distress calls concerning the deputy director’s alleged conduct at the ministry.
According to the Commissioner, the Director of Examinations contacted him and reported that Adeda had allegedly attacked people and threatened to kill anyone who attempted to approach him.
He said he subsequently went to the location to ascertain what was happening and see how the situation could be brought under control.
Ashibogwu said that when he encountered Adeda, he asked whether the deputy director knew him, but Adeda allegedly responded that he did not want to know him and threatened to attack anyone who came near him.
“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.
He further alleged that Adeda became aggressive during the encounter and attacked him, stressing that he never authorised anyone to physically assault the deceased.
Ashibogwu, who described himself as a non-violent person, urged members of the public and the media to avoid speculation and allow the relevant authorities to establish what happened.
The Commissioner’s statement followed an incident at the ministry’s Exams and Standards Department, located off Mariam Babangida Way, where Adeda was reportedly involved in an altercation before he was taken for medical attention.
Sources within the ministry said Adeda had recently been redeployed as Chief Inspector of Education for Isoko South but was subsequently posted to the Science Education Department, with his office located at the state secretariat.
The sources alleged that on the day of the incident, Adeda drove to the Exams and Standards Department, where he reportedly used his vehicle to ram into other vehicles and property within the ministry premises.
Video footage purportedly showing the incident is said to be in circulation and has reportedly been made available to investigators.
The circumstances surrounding the incident and Adeda’s subsequent death have generated calls from ministry workers for a thorough and transparent investigation.
“There is considerable ambiguity surrounding the incident. No conclusion should be reached without a proper investigation,” a staff member said.
The workers urged the police and other relevant authorities to conduct a discreet and professional investigation to establish the sequence of events before, during and after the confrontation.
They also appealed against the circulation of unverified claims, warning that such reports could heighten tension and complicate efforts to establish the facts.
Ashibogwu similarly called for the investigation to be guided by available evidence, including video footage.
He maintained that only a proper investigation could establish the circumstances surrounding the events that preceded Adeda’s death.
