The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Edo State has demanded the immediate and unconditional release of 52 students of Ambrose Alli University, AAU, Ekpoma, who were remanded in prison over their alleged involvement in last Friday’s protest against insecurity in the town.
In a statement issued late Monday, the PDP’s Publicity Secretary, Dan Osa-Ogbegie, described the continued detention of the suspects most of them students as oppressive, unlawful and a blatant abuse of power.
The party maintained that the protest was peaceful and constitutionally guaranteed before it was allegedly hijacked by hoodlums.
According to the PDP, the state government is punishing victims while failing to confront the real perpetrators of violence, warning that such actions threaten democratic expression in Edo State.
Osa-Ogbegie accused the Monday Okpebholo-led administration of failing to address worsening insecurity in Ekpoma and surrounding communities, which he said have been left exposed to kidnappers and violent criminals.
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He described the government’s response as incompetent and authoritarian, arguing that “only a government afraid of accountability would criminalise civic protest”.
Parts 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.”
The PDP reiterated its opposition to kidnapping and killings, calling for the dismantling of criminal networks operating freely across Ekpoma and nearby areas.
Tension had gripped Ekpoma after a protest over rising insecurity turned violent on Saturday, following reports that miscreants hijacked the demonstration.
Traders at a livestock market were attacked, while the palace of the Onojie of Ekpoma, Zaiki Anthony Abumere II, was vandalised an incident condemned by Governor Okpebholo.
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The protest was triggered by public outrage over persistent kidnappings and the killing of a youth on Friday night.
Although residents initially blocked a major highway to press their demands, the situation later deteriorated when hoodlums took over the protest.
Confirming the incident, Edo State Police Command spokesperson, Eno Ikoedem, said one person was shot by a soldier, adding that the case had been handed over to military authorities for investigation.