Dip Connect Online News reports that the Senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has strongly condemned the arrest and alleged detention of 52 students of Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Edo State, calling for their immediate release.
In a solidarity statement issued on Tuesday, the senator described the action as a dangerous attempt to suppress youth voices and democratic expression, stressing that protests and civic engagement must not be criminalised in a democracy.
“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,” she said.
Akpoti-Uduaghan criticised the way the matter was handled by authorities in Edo State, urging the government to focus instead on the growing insecurity in the state, including kidnappings and related crimes.
“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,” she stated.
The lawmaker also stressed that peaceful protest is a constitutional right and a key tool for ensuring accountability, especially for young people whose futures are shaped by governance.
“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 added.
She reaffirmed her solidarity with the detained students and their families, noting that her intervention reflects her long-standing commitment to justice and youth empowerment.
Earlier, Dip Connect Online News gathered that no fewer than 52 students of the university were remanded in a correctional facility following a coordinated midnight operation by operatives of the Nigeria Police Force in Ekpoma. The students were arrested late at night and later charged to court for allegedly taking part in a protest held the previous Saturday over the worsening security situation in Edo State.
Reacting to the development, the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) also condemned the continued detention of the students. In a statement issued on Monday and signed by its National Public Relations Officer, Adeyemi Ajasa, the group 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 said the protest was hijacked by hoodlums who allegedly attacked traders, burnt tyres and vandalised the palace of the Onojie of Ekpoma, Zaiki Anthony Abumere II.
Elijah Adeyemi
