Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, has approved the release of individuals arrested in connection with the recent protests in Ekpoma.
The first batch of seven suspects has already been released. Confirming the development, the Edo State Commissioner for Education, Paddy Iyamu, who was present to oversee the process, said only verified students would be freed.
Speaking on Tuesday after meeting with the President of the Students’ Union Government (SUG) of Ambrose Alli University (AAU), Ekpoma, Governor Okpebholo said the unrest was not organised by students of the institution.
He described the incident, which occurred on Saturday, as a criminal operation allegedly carried out by non-students who loiter around the university environment to foment trouble and extort law-abiding students.
“I have met with the SUG President of AAU, Ekpoma. We had a very lengthy discussion, and as I have consistently said, this was not a students’ protest,” the governor said. “These are people who are no longer students but are just hanging around the school, causing trouble and extorting students. We will put an end to that.”
The governor assured the SUG leadership that any genuine students who may have been arrested during the restoration of order would be identified and released without delay.
“For students who were probably arrested, we will look into it and get them released to the SUG President. That is a promise I made, and I will do it as quickly as possible. The protest was not theirs. In fact, it was not a protest at all; it was an avenue to loot,” he added.
Governor Okpebholo also dismissed claims of kidnapping linked to the incident, describing them as false and allegedly stage-managed to mislead the public and incite ethnic tension.
“The kidnapping they are talking about is fake. It was stage-managed. They were arranging to kidnap and release themselves. They even went as far as killing someone, which is the most painful part,” he said.
He further condemned the burning of markets and destruction of property in Ekpoma, warning that anyone—regardless of political affiliation—found sponsoring or using hoodlums to destabilise Edo communities would be brought to justice.
“I don’t care whether you are a politician or not. If you are using people to destroy our land and economy, we will go after you. We know ourselves, and we will bring those responsible to book to ensure justice for our people,” the governor added.
