AAU Lecturer Dr Matthew Uwuigbe Dies in Ekpoma Hotel as Police Detain Three

Detectives in Edo State are questioning a hotel owner, manager, and a 21-year-old guest following the sudden death of Dr Matthew Uwuigbe, a senior academic at Ambrose Alli University (AAU), Ekpoma, on Sunday night.

The incident occurred at a lodging facility in the Mosco area of Ekpoma, Esan West Local Government Area. According to statements confirmed by the Edo State Police Command and reported by Nigerian national dailies, Dr Uwuigbe had checked into the hotel earlier in the evening accompanied by a 21-year-old woman identified as Angela Defa Jacob.

Police reported that the lecturer asked Jacob to step outside to purchase bottled water. Upon her return shortly after, she reportedly found Dr Uwuigbe motionless on the floor and alerted hotel staff, who then notified law enforcement.

Police Investigation and Custody

Edo State Police Command spokesperson Eno Ikoedem confirmed that the incident was reported to authorities at approximately 8:00 p.m. on October 5, 2026.

“On October 5, 2026, at about 8 pm, the command received a report that Matthew Uwuigbe, a lecturer at Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, had lodged at a hotel in Ekpoma and engaged the services of a 21-year-old sex worker, Angela Defa Jacob. He subsequently sent the woman to purchase water for him, and upon her return, she found him lying dead in the room,” Ikoedem said.

The police spokesperson stated that the hotel proprietor, the facility manager, and Jacob remain in custody to assist investigators in establishing the circumstances surrounding the death. Dr Uwuigbe’s remains were deposited at the mortuary of Oriaifo Memorial Hospital in Ekpoma.

Ambrose Alli University Statement

Ambrose Alli University confirmed that Dr Uwuigbe was an active member of its academic faculty, but clarified that the incident occurred off campus in a private setting.

Speaking on the development, AAU Public Relations Officer Otunba Mike Ade Aladenika emphasized the institution’s position:

“We are not denying that he is our staff, but whatever he did and what happened, it is his private life. The girl in question is not our student, and everything happened outside our institution,” Aladenika said.

Police have not announced a confirmed cause of death, and authorities stated that findings will be disclosed once preliminary inquiries are completed.