Commercial activities and vehicular movement were on Wednesday disrupted in Otovwodo community, Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State, as residents staged a protest over the death of their son, Unity Ekpevbughe Adeda, a Deputy Director in the State Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education.
The protesters, who carried placards with inscriptions including “Justice for Adeda,” “We are peaceful people, all we want is justice,” “A Killer Cannot Be a Commissioner,” and “Enough is Enough,” demanded a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death.
The community also rejected the eight-member panel of inquiry recently constituted by the state government, arguing that neither the bereaved family nor representatives of Otovwodo were included in its membership.
Addressing the protesters, President-General of Otovwodo community, Prince Elvis Oharisi, called on Governor Sheriff Oborevwori to relieve the Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education and other persons allegedly linked to the incident of their duties pending the outcome of investigation.
Oharisi said the community was deeply aggrieved by the death of Adeda, stressing that the demand for justice was not based solely on his being an indigene of Otovwodo but on the wider implications of the incident for the kingdom.
He said, “The community is in grief and we are calling for justice. We are telling the government of Governor Sheriff Oborevwori to bring our son and his life back to us in the community. You cannot treat a human being the way he was treated.”
The community leader demanded that all persons arrested in connection with the incident should remain in custody until the investigation and due legal process were concluded. He warned that any attempt to release suspects without accountability would be resisted.
On the government’s investigative panel, Oharisi said, “The community was not represented in that committee. The family was never represented. So, we have no iota of trust in that committee.”
He gave the state government a seven-day ultimatum to address the community’s demands, warning that failure to do so would lead to the shutdown of the area. “If the government fails to meet the demands, we will shut down the whole place,” he declared.
Also speaking, the Otovwodo Youth Leader, Umudi Ohwofasa, described Adeda’s death as devastating, saying the community would not accept any process that failed to deliver justice. He urged the government to identify and prosecute anyone found responsible for the incident.
A relative of the deceased, Mrs Julie Adeda, described him as a peaceful man and the breadwinner of his family, saying the family expected the government to arrest and prosecute those found culpable.
Other protesters, including Tobi Onajite and Mama Regina, expressed anger over the death and called for justice, insisting that Adeda deserved due process and accountability.
Read also:
- Police Arrest Delta Commissioner, 3 Others, Launch Manhunt For 2 Other Suspects Over Director’s Death
- Delta Director’s Death: Family Demands Arrest of Suspects, Rejects Probe Panel
- Delta Government Condoles Adeda Family, Assures Justice Will Prevail
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