Tension rose in Otovwodo community, Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State, yesterday as residents protested the death of Mr. Unity Adeda Ekwuevugbe, an Assistant Director in the state Ministry of Secondary Education.

The protesters disrupted vehicular movement and commercial activities in the community, demanding justice for Adeda and calling on the state government to take decisive action over the circumstances surrounding his death.

They gave the Delta State Government a seven-day ultimatum to act, warning that failure to meet their demands would trigger further action by the community.

Carrying 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,” the protesters said Adeda’s death must not be swept under the carpet.

The community also rejected the investigative panel constituted by the Delta State Government, arguing that the absence of representatives of the deceased’s family and Otovwodo community had eroded their confidence in the process.

Speaking during the protest, President-General of Otovwodo community, Prince Elvis Oharisi, called on Governor Sheriff Oborevwori to relieve the Commissioner and Director allegedly linked to the incident of their duties and allow the law to take its course.

Oharisi alleged that Adeda was subjected to violence involving the Commissioner for Secondary Education, a Director, a police officer and others, leading to his death.

He said: “The Governor should relieve the Commissioner and Director of their duties and make them face the wrath of the law.

“This is not just about Otovwodo. Unity is from here and that is why it is painful to us, but it affects the entire kingdom.

“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.”

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

Oharisi further demanded that anyone arrested in connection with the incident should not be released without due process, insisting that those responsible must be held accountable.

On the panel of inquiry, he 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 warned that the community would shut down activities if the government failed to respond to its demands.

“If the government fails to meet the demands, we will shut down the whole place. The whole place will be shut down,” he declared.

Also speaking, Otovwodo Youth Leader, Umudi Ohwofasa, described Adeda’s death as devastating, saying the community would reject any process that failed to deliver justice.

“The death of our brother, father, husband and breadwinner is devastating and we will not accept anything short of justice,” he said.

Ohwofasa urged the government to identify those responsible and ensure that they faced the law.

“We want the government to fish out those responsible. If this issue is not properly handled, we will not accept it,” he added.

A sister-in-law of the deceased, Mrs Julie Adeda, described him as a peaceful and loving man who was the breadwinner of his family.

“My brother-in-law was a very peaceful and lovely man. He was the breadwinner of his family, who were looking up to him.

“We want the government to track and arrest those involved and allow the law to prevail,” she said.

Other speakers, including Tobi Onajite and Mama Regina, expressed grief over the death and demanded accountability.

They said Adeda could not be treated as though his life had no value, declaring: “Enough is enough.”