Adeda: Police arrest education director, six now in custody

By Jimitota Onoyume, Egufe Yafugborhi & Ochuko Akuopha

ASABA — Investigation into the death of Deputy Director in the Delta State Ministry of Secondary Education, Mr Unity Ekwevugbe Adeda, yesterday took a new turn as the state Police Command confirmed the arrest of the ministry’s Director of Exams and Standards, Mrs Clementina Ufuoma Ojumah, bringing the number of persons in custody to six.

The development came as Adeda’s home community, Otovwodo in Ughelli North Local Government Area, protested his death, restricting vehicular movement and commercial activities and giving the Delta State Government a seven-day ultimatum to take action.

The community also rejected the administrative panel of inquiry constituted by the state government, arguing that neither the deceased’s family nor the community was represented.

The Police Public Relations Officer, SP Bright Edafe, confirmed yesterday that Ojumah had turned herself in at the command headquarters.

Edafe said: “She reported herself Tuesday.”

The latest development brings to six the number of persons being held in connection with the investigation.

The police have said the investigation is aimed at establishing the circumstances surrounding Adeda’s death and determining individual responsibility based on available evidence.

The command had earlier said investigators would examine relevant video footage, eyewitness accounts and medical records.

Community shuts activities

At Otovwodo, residents marched through the community carrying placards with inscriptions including: “Justice for Adeda,” “We are peaceful people, all we want is justice,” “Justice 4 unlawful killing of Adeda” and “A killer cannot be a Commissioner.”

President-General of the community, Prince Elvis Oharisi, said residents were demanding justice and would not accept an investigative process that excluded the deceased’s family and community.

“The family of Adeda came reporting to us the incident that occurred on Thursday last week,” Oharisi said.

He added: “The community is grieved, and the community is calling for justice. We are telling the government of Sheriff Oborevwori, our governor, to bring our son alive to us in the community.

“We are giving them seven days to bring back our son to us. You cannot treat a human being the way he was treated.”

Oharisi also called for those already arrested to remain in custody pending the outcome of the investigation.

“Those that have been apprehended—the commissioner, the director, and whoever has been apprehended—should not be released at all. If any one of them is released, we will not take it lightly. Justice should be served properly on this issue,” he said.

On the administrative panel, he said: “The committee set up by the government, we are not satisfied with it, because the community was not represented in that committee, the family was never represented in that committee. So, that committee, we have no iota of trust in that committee.”

He also called on the state government to suspend the officials being investigated pending the outcome of the process.

“The governor should, as a matter of urgency, relieve the commissioner, the director of their duties as it was served to Izeze before justice can be actually obtained,” Oharisi said.

The administrative panel began sitting earlier this week and is expected to submit its report within two weeks, while the deceased’s family has also been pursuing an autopsy as police investigations continue.

‘We want government to act’

Youth Leader of the community, Umudi Ohwofasa, said the protest would continue until residents were assured that justice would be done.

He said: “It’s very, very painful for such a thing to happen to someone. So, we want the government to fish out the people that did this thing. They should bring them out.”

Ohwofasa appealed to the state government to ensure that the matter did not degenerate into a crisis.

“Because we need peace; if there’s no peace, there will be a war over this issue. So, we are appealing to the state government, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, our executive governor,” he said.

He added: “We will continue the protest. I cannot be satisfied in the sense that we have not heard anything that will make us satisfied over this issue.”

A women leader, Regina, described Adeda as a senior public servant whose death had deeply affected the community.

She said: “A big man who has reached such height in public service. Someone we believed would help our children is the one they killed like a chicken! He is not a chicken, nor a goat, nor a cow—he is a human being!”

“We want our son back! The government should bring the people responsible, let them produce our son!”

Family insists on justice

Mrs Julie Adeda, sister-in-law to the deceased, said the family remained distressed by the circumstances surrounding his death.

She described Adeda as a quiet person and breadwinner of the family, adding that his death had left relatives devastated.

She called for the arrest and prosecution of anyone found culpable.

“They should track them, and let the law prevail. Let the law prevail in any angle,” she said.

Mrs Adeda, however, stressed that allegations against individuals must be established through due process.

“I’m not suspecting any person, but the commissioner and the director have a case to answer,” she said.

She added that the family wanted the investigation to proceed to a lawful conclusion.

“So now, we want justice to prevail. And any position they are in now, they should remove them from there! We don’t want to see them! We want them to face the law!” she said.

The latest arrest comes amid mounting pressure on investigators and the state government to establish the circumstances surrounding Adeda’s death and determine whether any individual should face prosecution.

The commissioner has denied ordering or participating in any assault, while the police have maintained that their investigation is ongoing.

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