Delta Civil Servant’s Death: Lawyers Petition Police, Demand Probe of Commissioner

The Society of Public Interest Lawyers in Nigeria (SPI-LAW) has petitioned the Commissioner of Police, Delta State Command, over the alleged killing of Mr Unity Ekpevbughe Adeda, a Level 16 Deputy Director in the Delta State Civil Service.

The group also demanded an impartial and independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding Adeda’s death and called for the invitation of the Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Dr Kingsley Ashibogwu, for questioning.

In a petition dated September 28 and signed by SPI-LAW President, John Aikpokpo-Martins, Esq., and Vice-President, Kunle Edun, SAN, the lawyers said Adeda died following a reported altercation at the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education at the Delta State Secretariat in Asaba.

The group said public reports indicated that the deceased was allegedly subjected to physical violence and restraint by persons reportedly connected with the office of the Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education.

SPI-LAW, however, stressed that the precise circumstances and medical cause of Adeda’s death must be established through competent forensic and criminal investigation.

It said the gravity of the allegations, the reported involvement of persons attached to the office of a serving commissioner and the subsequent death of a senior civil servant required an immediate, transparent and thorough criminal investigation.

Among its demands, the group called for the immediate invitation of Commissioner Ashibogwu for questioning, stressing that the request was not a pronouncement of guilt but a demand that he, like anyone else with potentially relevant information, be subjected to the investigative process.

SPI-LAW also demanded that everyone present during the alleged altercation and restraint of Adeda be identified, located and interviewed, irrespective of their rank, office or political connections.

The lawyers further called for the immediate preservation of all CCTV footage and video recordings covering the ministry and secretariat premises, as well as the securing of all medical records relating to the deceased.

The group demanded an independent forensic autopsy or, if an autopsy had already been conducted, that the findings be made available to investigators and the deceased’s family in accordance with the law.

It also urged the police to investigate all persons already arrested fairly, warning against what it described as scapegoating junior officials to protect more senior persons.

SPI-LAW further demanded that investigators establish whether anyone ordered, authorised, facilitated or participated in the alleged assault, regardless of the person’s official position.

The group said the investigation must be conducted independently of political or administrative influence.

According to the lawyers, it would be “legally and investigatively untenable” for the police to interrogate or arrest junior persons allegedly involved while leaving the principal public officer at the centre of the reported confrontation untouched.

The group warned that such an approach could fuel public concerns about an attempt to shield a politically connected person.

SPI-LAW said the death of a senior civil servant following an alleged physical confrontation within a government establishment should not be treated as an ordinary workplace disagreement.

It maintained that government premises must remain places where public servants can work without fear of unlawful violence, while calling for all relevant evidence to be preserved and thoroughly examined.

The society said the family of Adeda was entitled to know the circumstances surrounding his death and insisted that no public office holder should be shielded from a lawful investigation.

“Justice for Mr. Adeda must not be negotiated, diluted or buried under bureaucratic procedures,” the group said.