Peter Obi, a former presidential candidate for the Labour Party, denounced the arrest and remand of fifty-two students in Ekpoma, Edo State, calling it “utterly unacceptable” and a serious assault on the freedom of citizens to demand security.
Obi expressed his concern that students who demonstrated against the growing threat of kidnappers and bandits in their neighborhood were handled like criminals rather than being protected in a statement posted late on Tuesday night on his X (formerly Twitter) page.
He wrote, “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 neighborhoods.”
He bemoaned the fact that although the perpetrators who caused the insecurity are still at large, the students were allegedly taken up from their hostels at night after holding a protest.
“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.”
The former governor of Anambra State emphasized that the government should view the situation as a call for immediate change rather than confrontation and warned that protests would continue as long as there is insecurity.
He said that in order to recover communities from violent criminals, the government need to have a conversation with the students and take decisive action.
“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. This is not a confrontation between citizens and the government; it is a united front against the criminals who terrorize us.”
He demanded the students’ immediate and unconditional release, calling their arrest intolerable.
“Arresting young people for demanding safety is absolutely intolerable. I call on the government to release these students immediately and unconditionally. Let us move forward with courage, not fear, in guiding our leadership.”
