The Delta State Government has indefinitely suspended the Commissioner for Works (Highway and Urban Roads), Hon. Reuben Izeze, over allegations linking him to the reported assault of the Senior Special Assistant on Protocol to the Governor, Mr Simon Mudi, popularly known as Temple.
The suspension takes immediate effect, according to a statement signed by the Secretary to the Delta State Government, Dr Kingsley Emu.
The state government said the decision was taken to allow security agencies to conduct an unbiased investigation into the circumstances surrounding the alleged assault at the Petroleum Training Institute (PTI), Effurun.
The suspension follows reports of an incident involving Mudi at the PTI premises, with allegations subsequently linking the Commissioner to the matter.
In the statement, the government said the suspension was necessary to ensure that security agencies could carry out their investigation without interference and establish the facts surrounding the incident.
The government stressed that the decision was in line with its commitment to public safety, law and order, as well as the protection of lives and property.
It said the principle would be upheld even where officials or institutions of government were involved.
The statement added that the suspension was not a declaration of guilt against the Commissioner but an administrative measure intended to allow the investigation to proceed independently.
The government is expected to await the outcome of the investigation before taking further action based on the findings of the security agencies.
The development has attracted attention in Delta State, particularly because it involves a serving member of the State Executive Council and an alleged incident involving another government official.
The security agencies are expected to establish the circumstances surrounding the alleged assault and determine whether any individual bears responsibility for the incident.