Police probe death of AAU lecturer in Ekpoma hotel; three detained
Police in Edo State are investigating the death of Ambrose Alli University lecturer Matthew Uwuigbe, who was found dead in a hotel room in Ekpoma, with three people detained for questioning.
The Edo State Police Command said it received a report on October 5, 2026, that Uwuigbe had lodged at a hotel in Ekpoma and was later found dead in the room.
The hotel owner, the manager and a 21-year-old woman who had been with the lecturer were detained while the investigation continues.
Their detention does not establish criminal responsibility, and police have not announced a cause of death.
Police account of what happened
According to the police account, Uwuigbe had checked into the hotel with the woman and later sent her out to buy water.
Police said she returned and found him unresponsive in the room.
His remains were subsequently deposited at a mortuary while investigators work to establish the circumstances of his death.
The sequence of events does not establish what caused his death.
Cause of death remains unknown
No authoritative medical finding establishing the cause of Uwuigbe’s death had been published at the time of this report.
It would therefore be speculative to attribute the death to sexual activity, an underlying health condition, foul play or any other cause without medical or investigative evidence.
The central verified facts remain that Uwuigbe died in an Ekpoma hotel and that police are investigating.
University confirms he was a staff member
Ambrose Alli University confirmed that Uwuigbe was a member of its academic staff and said the incident occurred outside the university.
The university also said the woman involved was not a student of the institution.
The school’s confirmation establishes his employment status but does not add evidence about the cause or circumstances of his death.
Dignity and legal status
Uwuigbe is deceased, and details of his private life should not be amplified beyond what is necessary to explain the investigation.
The 21-year-old woman has therefore not been identified in this report, and her reported occupation is omitted because it is not presently necessary to establish the public-interest facts.
The hotel owner, manager and woman remain detained for questioning unless police announce charges or further legal action.
Detention or arrest is not the same as a charge, and a charge would not be the same as guilt.
What happens next
The next material developments will be any authoritative medical finding on the cause of death, police conclusions from the investigation, and whether the three detained individuals are released, charged or otherwise dealt with under the law.
Until then, the established position is that Uwuigbe died in an Ekpoma hotel, police have detained three people for questioning, and the cause of death remains unknown.
