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By Our Correspondent 

The South South Professionals (SSP) has called on the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, European Union and other international jurisdictions to impose immediate visa bans and revoke existing visas held by Delta State government officials, particularly Governor Sheriff Francis Oborevwori and Commissioner for Secondary Education, Dr. Kingsley Ashibogwu, over the death of a senior civil servant, Mr. Unity Ekpevbughe Adeda.

The coalition also demanded coordinated travel restrictions against other senior Delta State officials it said may be implicated in violence, intimidation, obstruction of justice and threats to public safety and lawful order.

In a statement issued on Wednesday by its National Publicity Secretary, Dr. Augustine Edomonyi, in Benin City, Edo State, SSP said the demands followed what it described as a “catastrophic breakdown of governance and human rights protections” in Delta State, culminating in the death of Adeda, a Deputy Director in the Ministry of Secondary Education.

Adeda died after being assaulted at the Ministry premises on September 25, 2026, according to the coalition.

SSP alleged that Adeda was assaulted in the office of the Commissioner for Secondary Education following a disagreement with a senior official.

It further alleged, citing purported eyewitness accounts, that the Commissioner ordered staff and political aides to beat the civil servant, who was allegedly tied up and severely assaulted before being taken to hospital.

Police authorities have arrested suspects, including Ashibogwu, and transferred the investigation to the Homicide Section of the State Criminal Investigation Department.

The coalition said the circumstances surrounding Adeda’s death required an independent criminal investigation rather than what it described as a politically controlled response.

“Those who preside over violence must not enjoy the sanctuary of Western visa regimes,” SSP said, while stressing that its call was not intended to prejudge the guilt of the individuals under investigation.

The group said international travel restrictions were necessary to prevent officials implicated in the matter from enjoying international privileges while investigations and possible prosecutions were underway.

SSP also cited other incidents which it said pointed to an “escalating pattern of violence and impunity” in the state.

Among them was the recorded assault of Simon Mudi, a Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Protocol, allegedly linked to Works (Highways and Urban Roads) Commissioner Reuben Izeze; reports of attacks on opposition figures in Effurun and Uvwie; and alleged intimidation of civil servants and opposition members by government-linked networks.

The coalition also alleged the appointment of political thugs and cultists to government positions, although it did not provide independent evidence for the claim in the statement.

It described the situation as “thugocracy masquerading as governance” and alleged that Delta had become unsafe for civil servants, opposition members and ordinary citizens.

SSP urged the United States, UK, Canada, EU member states, Australia, New Zealand and countries across Asia, the Pacific, North, South and Central America to consider coordinated visa restrictions against officials named in its petition.

It specifically listed Governor Oborevwori, Ashibogwu and other officials it said were implicated in the alleged violations, as well as seeking revocation of existing visas.

The coalition also called for the preservation and disclosure of evidence relating to Adeda’s death, independent investigation and prosecution of anyone against whom there is probable cause, and protection for witnesses, journalists, labour leaders and civil servants.

It further urged foreign governments to make human-rights benchmarks a condition for future official engagements with Delta State authorities.

SSP cited the Nigerian Constitution’s guarantees of the rights to life and dignity, arguing that physical assault of a civil servant could constitute serious misconduct and potentially amount to criminal offences depending on the facts established by investigators.

“No commissioner has the lawful power to punish a civil servant by beating him,” the coalition said, adding that “no governor has the moral authority to shield officials implicated in fatal violence.”

The group commended the Nigeria Labour Congress for shutting down the Delta State Secretariat following the death, saying the action reflected concerns over the safety of workers in the state.

SSP said it had petitioned the relevant foreign authorities and requested written confirmation that the petitions had been received and referred to appropriate human-rights and sanctions units.

The coalition’s demands come as investigations into the circumstances surrounding Adeda’s death continue in Delta State.