Dr Matthew Uwuigbe, a senior lecturer at Ambrose Alli University (AAU), Ekpoma, Edo State, was found dead in a hotel room in the Mosco area of Ekpoma after spending time with a 21-year-old woman identified as Angela Defa Jacob. The Edo State Police Command has launched an investigation into the circumstances of his death, which occurred on October 5, 2026.
Academic Background and Career
Uwuigbe was a senior academic staff member in the Faculty of Medical Laboratory Science at AAU, with his academic records linking him specifically to the university’s Department of Histopathology. His name also appears on a 2025 research paper examining the histological effects of an antidiabetic herbal tea on the kidneys and spleens of laboratory rats. The paper listed his affiliation as the Department of Histopathology, Faculty of Medical Laboratory Science, Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma.
According to several reports, Uwuigbe was in his 50s at the time of his death. His academic career, however, has now been overshadowed by the circumstances surrounding his demise.
Details of the Incident
Police spokesperson Eno Ikoedem said Uwuigbe lodged at the hotel and engaged Jacob, whom the police described as a commercial sex worker. Ikoedem stated that the lecturer later sent Jacob out to buy water. When she returned, she found Uwuigbe lying dead inside the room.
“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,” Ikoedem said. “He subsequently sent the woman to purchase water for him, and upon her return, she found him lying dead in the room.”
Some reports said Uwuigbe allegedly collapsed in the room after an encounter with Jacob, with PUNCH describing the incident as occurring after an alleged sexual encounter. However, the police have not publicly established that the encounter caused his death.
Police Investigation and Arrests
Following the discovery of the lecturer’s body, police arrested Jacob, the hotel owner, and the hotel manager. The three were taken into custody while detectives investigated the circumstances surrounding Uwuigbe’s death. His remains were deposited at the Oriaifo Memorial Hospital Mortuary pending further investigation and medical examination.
The incident was reported to the police at about 8 p.m. on October 5, 2026, according to the command. The police have not accused Jacob, the hotel owner, or the manager of causing Uwuigbe’s death, and no cause of death has been publicly announced.
University Response and Mourning
AAU confirmed Uwuigbe was a member of its academic staff but stressed that the incident occurred outside the university. The university’s Public Relations Officer, Otunba Mike Ade Aladenika, said the circumstances surrounding Uwuigbe’s death were part of his private life and were not connected to the university’s activities.
“We are not denying that he is our staff, but whatever he did and what happened, it is his private life,” Aladenika said. He also clarified that Jacob was not an AAU student and that the incident did not take place on the university campus.
Uwuigbe’s death has left his family, colleagues, and students mourning. AAU Online News described his death as a painful loss to the university community and extended condolences to his family, colleagues, students, friends, and other loved ones. No member of Uwuigbe’s immediate family has publicly commented on the circumstances of his death in the reports reviewed so far.
The investigation is expected to establish what happened inside the hotel room before Uwuigbe was found dead and whether any criminal offence was committed.
