A tragic incident has rocked Adamawa State as a long-serving civil servant, Mr. John Wickliffe, reportedly slumped and died days after receiving a demotion and an eviction notice from his official residence.
Wickliffe, aged 48, had worked as a House Keeper under Grade Level 6 for 22 years before being abruptly demoted to a Level 2 Cleaner. According to family sources, the demotion came without prior disciplinary measures or explanation, and he was further directed to vacate his residence at the Government Lodge in Gombi, where he lived with his wife and four children.
The deceased's widow, Mrs. Namanfa John, who spoke with SaharaReporters, described the trauma that engulfed the family following the sudden development. She attributed her husband’s death to stress-related complications, including low blood pressure, caused by the humiliation and pressure surrounding his demotion and forced eviction.
“He served this state loyally for 22 years without promotion or confirmation,” she said tearfully. “Then they suddenly handed him a letter demoting him to a cleaner — no query, no explanation. He died a few days afterwards.”
The eviction order, she explained, was delivered by a Zonal Inspector identified as Mukhtar, acting on instructions from the Ministry for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs. The transfer letter, dated February 25, 2025, but received just last week, was signed by Lydia Michael, Acting Director of Local Government.
Mrs. John further alleged that her husband’s removal may have been connected to a wider case of job racketeering. She speculated that his position might have been cleared to create room for newly recruited staff, following the Adamawa State Governor’s recent approval of 4,000 civil service appointments.
“There is a very strong possibility that money changed hands. They sacrificed my husband for someone else,” she claimed, demanding a full investigation from Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri into what she termed “a state-sanctioned injustice.”
In response, Lydia Michael maintained that Mr. Wickliffe was a “daily-rated staff” and his reassignment was within administrative norms, stating that such employees are not entitled to permanent roles or guaranteed promotions, regardless of their academic qualifications.
However, the widow remains firm in her position, insisting that the systemic neglect, lack of career progression, and insensitive handling of her husband’s case were instrumental in his untimely death.
“Let the governor look into this. My husband deserves justice — in death, if not in life,” she appealed.
The incident has sparked public concern, with calls growing for a transparent inquiry and the provision of support to the grieving family, now left in distress and uncertainty.
