Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo State has ordered the release of genuine students of Ambrose Alli University, AAU, Ekpoma, who were remanded at the Ubiaja Correctional Centre following their arraignment by the police.
The students were arrested over their alleged involvement in the Ekpoma anti-kidnapping protest that later turned violent in Esan West Local Government Area of the state.
The governor’s directive was conveyed on Tuesday afternoon by the Commissioner for Education, Paddy Iyamu, who visited the correctional facility alongside the President of the AAU Students’ Union, Osadebamwen Ehizioje.
Iyamu said he was acting on the instruction of the governor to ensure that all bonafide AAU students were identified and released.
“This morning, His Excellency directed that all those identified as bonafide students of AAU should be released,” Iyamu said. “We are to liaise with the security agencies, and by the grace of God, they will walk home freely.”
He added that those who organised the protest were not recognised student leaders, insisting that the Students’ Union was not involved.
“I wonder how a protest will occur without the president of the Students’ Union Government of that school. The president was not in school and the school was not in session,” he said.
Iyamu blamed the violence on a group he described as the Comrades Association, claiming its members were mostly ex-students and hangers-on within the school community.
“When you are going for a peaceful protest, you carry placards, you inform security agencies, and you comport yourself properly,” he said. “That did not happen. There was no letter to security agencies. What we saw was violence.”
Families of the detained students had earlier expressed distress over their continued detention. One of the parents, Rabi Braimah, said her son and his friends were picked up from their hostels and did not take part in the protest.
“They told us that the court did not sit today,” she said. “They said it is when the court starts sitting that they will attend to them. My brother has contacted a lawyer.”
Another family member, who declined to be named, said their lawyer was coming from Benin City to file the necessary applications for release.
The Principal Registrar of the Edo State High Court in Ubiaja, Mrs Comfort Agbonire, confirmed that the court did not sit, explaining that the court had lost two lawyers.
“We are expecting the police prosecutor from Benin City to formally hand over the remand papers,” she said. “After that, lawyers to the students can file their applications.”
In a separate statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Patrick Ebojele, Governor Okpebholo described the protest as a “well-organised riot,” alleging that it was sponsored by a Nigerian based in Russia, with support from others abroad.
The governor said arrests were made based on “clear evidence,” including videos showing arson and destruction of property, insisting that those in custody were rioters and not peaceful protesters.
He added that the incident had no link with AAU students or the National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS, and assured residents that peace was gradually returning to Ekpoma.
Meanwhile, the arrests have drawn strong reactions from political leaders.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar criticised the Federal Government’s handling of the matter, describing the detention of the students as unacceptable.
“It is unacceptable that the authorities’ response to students’ protest against insecurity is to arrest and detain dozens of students,” Atiku said. “The right to protest is enshrined in the constitution and validated by the courts.”
He called for the immediate release of those detained, saying government energy should be focused on tackling insecurity.
Also reacting, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan condemned the arrest and arraignment of the students, describing it as a dangerous suppression of youth voices.
“Dialogue, not detention, is the pathway to peace and progress,” she said. “Our youths must not be criminalised for speaking up.”
She demanded the immediate release of the 52 detained students and urged the Edo State Government to focus on addressing kidnapping and other security challenges in the state.
