The Delta State Police Command has taken the Commissioner for Secondary Education, Dr. Kingsley Ashibogwu, into custody alongside three other suspects as part of its investigation into the death of a Deputy Director in the ministry, Mr. Unity Ekpevbughe Adeda.
The latest development was contained in a statement issued on Monday, September 28, 2026, by the Command’s Police Public Relations Officer, SP Bright Edafe.
According to the statement, the latest arrests bring to five the number of persons currently in police custody in connection with the investigation.
The Command also announced a manhunt for two other persons it described as key suspects — Mrs Clemetine Ufuoma, Director of Basic and Secondary Education, and Clement Apia, driver to the Commissioner for Secondary Education.
The police said the two are required to assist the investigation and urged them to make themselves available without further delay.
Police Promise Impartial Investigation
The development follows an earlier phase of the investigation in which police arrested one suspect and launched a manhunt for two others over the circumstances surrounding Adeda’s death.
The Command said the investigation would be conducted “thoroughly, impartially and professionally,” assuring the deceased’s family and members of the public that due process would be followed.
It further stated that anyone found culpable would be brought to justice in accordance with the law.
The Commissioner of Police, Delta State Command, CP Samuel E. Erale, also urged the two persons being sought to cooperate with investigators.
Ashibogwu Had Denied Ordering Assault
The police custody of Ashibogwu comes amid allegations surrounding an incident at his office in Asaba that preceded Adeda’s death.
Ashibogwu has denied allegations that he ordered anyone to assault Adeda or participated in an organised attack on the deceased. He said his involvement followed reports that Adeda had become violent and that he went to the scene after receiving distress calls.
Police had earlier said their investigation would examine the circumstances surrounding the incident and the events leading to Adeda’s death.
The case has generated significant concern among civil servants and members of the public, with organised labour previously protesting over the circumstances surrounding the death.
The Police Command expressed condolences to the family of the deceased and said further action would be guided by the outcome of the investigation.
