A former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, has condemned the arrest and alleged detention of 52 students of Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Edo State, demanding their immediate release.

The arrests followed a peaceful protest against insecurity in Ekpoma on Saturday, which later turned violent after suspected hoodlums hijacked the demonstration, attacked traders, and set tyres on the road to block vehicular movement.

In a statement posted on his verified X account on Tuesday, Atiku described the arrests as evidence of intolerance by the Bola Tinubu administration and insisted that the right to protest is constitutionally guaranteed.

“The level of intolerance and high-handedness of the Bola Tinubu administration is concerning. It is unacceptable that the authorities’ response to students’ protest against insecurity in the Ekpoma area of Edo State is to arrest and detain dozens of students of the Ambrose Alli University,” Atiku said.

He added that peaceful protest is protected by law and criticised what he described as misplaced priorities by the government.

“The right to protest is not only enshrined in the Constitution but has also been validated by the courts. The primary responsibility of government is the security and welfare of the citizens,” he said.

“If the energy with which innocent students and citizens are arrested for raising concerns about insecurity were deployed to fighting terrorism and banditry, instead of negotiating with the criminals, our communities would be safer,” Atiku added.

He called for the “immediate and unconstitutional release of all those unjustifiably detained for asserting their legitimate rights to protest.”

Meanwhile, PUNCH Online reports that the students were among 52 persons remanded at the Ubiaja Correctional Centre by the Benin High Court over charges of malicious damage and armed robbery.

The violence that followed the protest reportedly included attacks on traders, road blockades, and the vandalisation of the palace of the Onojie of Ekpoma, Zaiki Anthony Abumere II, an act condemned by Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo.

The presiding judge, Justice William Aziegbemi, who ruled on the matter on Monday, said he lacked jurisdiction and directed defence counsel to file bail applications at the Ubiaja High Court. He adjourned the case to February 26, 2026, for hearing.

Several of the affected students said they were arrested at about 3 am while sleeping in their hostels and were transported in a Black Maria to Benin for arraignment.

The Senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, also condemned the arrests, describing them as a suppression of democratic expression. In a solidarity statement issued on Tuesday, she said, “We demand their immediate release from detention.”

Similarly, the National Association of Nigerian Students condemned the continued detention of the students, describing the situation as “ridiculous, unacceptable, and deeply disturbing,” insisting that students exercising their constitutional right to peaceful protest should not face intimidation, harassment, or psychological trauma.

However, the Edo State Government dismissed reports describing recent unrest in Ekpoma, Esan West Local Government Area, as a protest, adding that the incident was a coordinated riot aimed at destabilising the state.

The government also rejected claims that those arrested in connection with the violence were students of Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, or that arrests were made within student hostels. (PUNCH)