Peter Obi has lashed out at the Monday Okpebholo administration over the arrest and remand of 52 students of Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, for protesting killings and kidnappings in the Esan West LGA.

“The reality is clear: as long as insecurity continues unabated, more protests will follow. The government has a responsibility to engage in dialogue with these students and take decisive steps to reclaim their communities from the grip of violence,” said Mr Obi Tuesday night in a statement. “This is not a confrontation between citizens and the government; it is a united front against the criminals who terrorise us.”

He added, “I have just been made aware of the alarming arrest and remand of 52 students in Ekpoma, Edo state, who bravely called for an end to the terror of kidnappers and bandits plaguing their community. 

“This situation is utterly unacceptable. We cannot and must not punish citizens for voicing legitimate grievances, especially when they are standing up against the very real threats that have devastated our neighbourhoods.”

Police operatives, last Sunday, stormed the students’ hostels in the middle of the night and started picking innocent students indiscriminately for taking part in the protests. Fifty of the arrested students were later charged in court on Monday, with the police seeking an urgent court order to remand them for 14 days.

Mr Obi, who described the development as intolerable, said innocent students should not be treated like criminals while bandits wreaking havoc on innocent Nigerians remained largely unaccountable for their despicable actions.

The politician stated, “It is beyond belief that students were taken from their hostels at night simply for protesting, only to be treated as criminals. Meanwhile, the actual perpetrators—the bandits and kidnappers wreaking havoc—remain at large, unaccountable for their actions.”

Mr Obi further stressed the urgent need for Mr Okpebholo to dialogue with the students in order to arrest the situation, adding that protests would continue as long as the killings and kidnappings persist. The politician urged the Edo government to release these arrested students immediately and unconditionally.

Meanwhile, senior special assistant to President Bola Tinubu on student engagement, Sunday Asefon, announced that 38 of the arrested students were being processed for release.

“We are pleased to report that 38 students of Ambrose Alli University (AAU) who were arrested in connection with the recent protest in Ekpoma will be released shortly,” Mr Asefon stated in a Facebook statement on Tuesday.