Court Remands 52 Ambrose Alli University Students for Ekpoma Protest
A Benin High Court has ordered the remand of 52 persons, including students of Ambrose Alli University
(AAU), Ekpoma, after they were arraigned in connection with protests against rising kidnapping and
insecurity in the community over the weekend.
The suspects were remanded at the Ubiaja Correctional Centre following an ex parte motion filed by the
police, and the matter has been adjourned to February 26, 2026, for further hearing.
The protest began on Saturday, January 10, 2026, when residents and students in Esan West Local
Government Area took to the streets to protest against a surge in kidnappings and violent crime in
Ekpoma, a community home to the university.
Initially peaceful, the demonstration later degenerated into violence after being allegedly hijacked by
hoodlums, leading to the looting of shops, blockage of roads and the vandalisation of the palace of the
Onojie of Ekpoma, Zaiki Anthony Abumere II.
Security operatives were deployed to restore order, and in the ensuing operations, the police arrested
more than 50 people in Ekpoma.
Several of those detained, predominantly students, told journalists that many were picked up from
hostels in the early hours of Monday morning, around 3:00 a.m., despite not participating in the protest
or ensuing violence. Some family members said their children were asleep at the time of their arrest.
The ex parte remand application filed by the Nigeria Police Force alleged involvement in malicious
damage and armed robbery linked to the protest, which shut down major thoroughfares.
During the arraignment, Justice William Aziegbemi ruled that the court lacked jurisdiction to entertain
the matter and directed defence lawyers to file bail applications at the Ubiaja High Court.
The judge adjourned further proceedings to February 26, 2026, and ordered that the suspects be
remanded pending legal advice from the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP).
The remand has drawn condemnation from student and civil society groups, which argue that the
arrests are aimed at intimidating those who exercised their constitutional rights to protest insecurity.
The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) described the detention as “ridiculous,
unacceptable and deeply disturbing,” insisting that peaceful protest should not be met with repression,
while the Edo State People’s Democratic Party (PDP) faulted the government’s handling of insecurity
and said the continued detention of students was oppressive.
Relatives of the detained students expressed distress at the courtroom as many wept while their loved
ones were taken into custody.
Some defence lawyers present at the hearing challenged the charges as unfounded, noting that many of
those remanded did not participate in the protest or the alleged violent acts.
The protest itself was triggered by a spike in kidnapping and security incidents in Ekpoma and Edo
Central Senatorial District, including recent abductions and killings that stirred public anger, prompting
community members, particularly students, to demand urgent action from security agencies and
government.
The development has heightened tensions in the university town and reignited debates about how
authorities respond to civic demonstrations amid worsening insecurity, with critics warning that
criminalisation of protest risks undermining citizens’ constitutional rights.
By Oyinkansola Shittu.
