Nigeria’s Senator representing Kogi Central Senatorial District in Kogi State, North-Central Nigeria, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has strongly criticised the arrest and continued detention of 52 students of Ambrose Alli University, a public higher education institution located in Ekpoma, a university town in Edo State, southern Nigeria.
In a public solidarity statement released on Tuesday, Thirteenth January, Two Thousand And Twenty-Six, the lawmaker described the arrests as an alarming attack on democratic participation, warning that suppressing student protests undermines constitutional freedoms and civic responsibility in a democratic society. Okay News reports that the senator framed the situation as a broader national concern beyond Edo State.
Akpoti-Uduaghan stressed that peaceful protest remains a lawful and essential avenue for young citizens to express concerns about governance, security, and welfare, particularly when those concerns directly affect their future. According to her, criminalising such actions risks eroding trust between citizens and the government.
She said, “Dialogue, not detention, is the pathway to peace and progress. Our youths must not be criminalised for speaking up and protesting about issues that affect their environment, welfare, and future.
“We demand their immediate release from detention.”
The senator faulted the response of authorities in Edo State, urging them to redirect their focus toward the worsening insecurity facing residents across the state. She specifically referenced the growing incidents of kidnappings and violent crimes that have continued to generate fear among communities.
She stated, “The government of Edo State must focus on addressing the concerns of kidnappings and other forms of insecurity, rather than suppressing discerning and courageous voices.”
Akpoti-Uduaghan further emphasised that the right to peaceful protest is enshrined in Nigeria’s Constitution and remains a crucial tool for accountability, especially for young people who often bear the long-term consequences of policy failures and insecurity.
According to her, “Silencing students through arrests only deepens mistrust and widens the gap between government and the governed. Engagement and honest dialogue are the responsible responses.”
She reaffirmed her solidarity with the detained students and their families, noting that her intervention aligns with her long-standing advocacy for justice, youth empowerment, and accountable governance across Nigeria.
The development followed reports that no fewer than 52 students of Ambrose Alli University were remanded in a correctional facility after a coordinated midnight operation carried out by operatives of the Nigeria Police Force in Ekpoma. The students were reportedly arrested late at night and later charged to court.
The arrests were linked to a protest held on Saturday, Tenth January, Two Thousand And Twenty-Six, during which students demonstrated against the deteriorating security situation in Edo State.
Reacting to the arrests, the National Association of Nigerian Students, the umbrella body representing tertiary institution students across Nigeria, condemned the continued detention of the students.
In a statement issued on Monday, Twelfth January, Two Thousand And Twenty-Six, and signed by its National Public Relations Officer, Adeyemi Ajasa, the association described the detention as “ridiculous, unacceptable, and deeply disturbing,” insisting that students exercising their constitutional right to peaceful protest should not face intimidation, harassment, or psychological trauma.
Meanwhile, the Edo State Police Command maintained that the protest was hijacked by criminal elements who allegedly attacked traders, burnt tyres, and vandalised the palace of the Onojie of Ekpoma, Zaiki Anthony Abumere the Second, a traditional ruler in Edo State.
