PDP demands release of 52 AAU students held After Ekpoma protest

By Jethro Ibileke

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State has called for the immediate and unconditional release of 52 students of Ambrose Alli University (AAU), Ekpoma, who were remanded in prison following their alleged roles in last Friday’s protest in the town.

In a statement issued late on Monday, the party’s Publicity Secretary, Dan Osa-Ogbegie, condemned the continued incarceration of the suspects,most of them AAU students, describing it as oppressive, unlawful and a clear abuse of authority.

The PDP insisted that the protest was peaceful, lawful and protected by the Constitution, warning that Edo State was sliding into a pattern of punishing victims while shielding perpetrators of violence.

The party also criticised what it termed the state government’s weak response to insecurity in Ekpoma, alleging that the town had been left at the mercy of kidnappers and violent criminals, with residents living in constant fear as attacks continued unabated.

Osa-Ogbegie accused the Monday Okpebholo administration of mishandling the deteriorating security situation in Ekpoma and surrounding communities, branding its approach a blend of incompetence, indifference and authoritarian instincts. He argued that only a government fearful of scrutiny would seek to criminalise civic protest.

According to the PDP, the Okpebholo-led APC government lacks a coherent security strategy, opting instead to deploy state power against unarmed citizens rather than confront criminal gangs through intelligence-driven policing and coordinated enforcement.

Part of the statement read: “The arrest and continued detention of peaceful protesters, many of them students, exposes the true character of the APC government in Edo State; brutal towards citizens, timid before criminals, and hostile to democratic expression.

“As a party, we are opposed to kidnapping and killings in all their forms and demand the immediate dismantling of criminal networks operating freely across Ekpoma and neighbouring communities.”

Ekpoma was plunged into tension after a protest against rising insecurity on Saturday degenerated into violence, with hoodlums reportedly hijacking the demonstration and attacking traders at a livestock market. The assailants also vandalised the palace of the Onojie of Ekpoma, Zaiki Anthony Abumere II, an incident condemned by Governor Okpebholo.

The unrest followed growing public anger over kidnappings and the killing of a youth on Friday night. While residents initially blocked a major highway to press their demands, the protest was later overtaken by miscreants who turned it violent.

Confirming the incident, the Edo State Police Command’s spokesperson,  Eno Ikoedem, said one person was shot by a soldier, adding that the matter had been handed over to military authorities for investigation.