Former Labour Party presidential candidate in Nigeria, Peter Obi, has strongly criticised the arrest and continued remand of fifty-two students in Ekpoma, a university town in Edo State, southern Nigeria, describing the incident as an unacceptable violation of citizens’ rights to demand safety and accountability from the government.
The students, drawn largely from the Ambrose Alli University community in Ekpoma, were reportedly arrested after staging protests over the growing threat of kidnappings and banditry in their area. The situation has sparked national concern, particularly over the handling of peaceful demonstrations by security agencies.
In a statement shared late Tuesday night on his official account on X, formerly known as Twitter, Obi said he was deeply disturbed that students who spoke out against insecurity were treated as criminals instead of being protected by the authorities. Okay News reports that the former governor described the arrests as a dangerous signal in a country already grappling with widespread insecurity.
He wrote, “I have just been made aware of the alarming arrest and remand of fifty-two students in Ekpoma, Edo State, who bravely called for an end to the terror of kidnappers and bandits plaguing their community.
“This situation is utterly unacceptable. We cannot and must not punish citizens for voicing legitimate grievances, especially when they are standing up against the very real threats that have devastated our neighbourhoods.”
Peter Obi, who previously served as Governor of Anambra State in south-eastern Nigeria, expressed concern that the students were allegedly arrested from their hostels during nighttime operations shortly after the protest, while those responsible for violent crimes in the area remain free.
“It is beyond belief that students were taken from their hostels at night simply for protesting, only to be treated as criminals. Meanwhile, the actual perpetrators—the bandits and kidnappers wreaking havoc—remain at large, unaccountable for their actions,” he said.
The former presidential candidate warned that public protests would persist as long as insecurity continues unchecked across Nigeria. According to him, the government should interpret such demonstrations as a call for urgent intervention rather than a threat to public order.
He added, “The reality is clear: as long as insecurity continues unabated, more protests will follow. The government has a responsibility to engage in dialogue with these students and take decisive steps to reclaim their communities from the grip of violence. This is not a confrontation between citizens and the government; it is a united front against the criminals who terrorise us.”
Obi described the detention of the students as intolerable and called for their immediate and unconditional release, urging leaders to respond with courage and empathy instead of fear and repression.
“Arresting young people for demanding safety is absolutely intolerable. I call on the government to release these students immediately and unconditionally. Let us move forward with courage, not fear, in guiding our leadership,” he stated.
