Atiku: APC Hunting Down Students over Ekpoma Protests, Negotiating with Bandits

• Akpoti-Uduaghan slams Edo govt, demands immediate release of 52 undergraduates

Chuks Okocha and Sunday Aborisade in Abuja
 

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has condemned the arrest and detention of students of Ambrose Alli University (AAU), Ekpoma, Edo State, describing the action as a sign of growing intolerance under the administration of President Bola Tinubu.

In a statement posted on X, yesterday, Atiku expressed concern over what he termed the “high-handedness” of the federal government in responding to students’ protests against insecurity in the Ekpoma area of Edo State.

According to him, “It is unacceptable that authorities would respond to peaceful protests by arresting and detaining dozens of students.”

Atiku stated that the right to protest was guaranteed by the Nigerian constitution and upheld by the courts. He reminded the Tinubu-led All Progressives Congress (APC) administration that the primary responsibility of government was the security and welfare of citizens, stressing that students should not be punished for raising legitimate concerns about their safety.

He said if the same level of energy used in arresting protesters were applied to tackling terrorism and banditry, rather than negotiating with criminals, communities across the country would be safer.

The former vice president called for the immediate and unconditional release of all those he said were unjustly detained for exercising their constitutional right to peaceful protest.

Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, while condemning the arrest and continued detention of the 52 students, described the action as an assault on democratic freedoms and an alarming attempt to silence legitimate youth voices.

In a statement, Akpoti-Uduaghan faulted the conduct of security agencies and the Edo State authorities over what she described as the “unlawful and heavy-handed” treatment of students who were involved in a protest.

She insisted that civic engagement, peaceful protest, and dissent were fundamental pillars of democracy and must not be treated as criminal acts.

Calling for the immediate and unconditional release of the students, Akpoti-Uduaghan warned that the growing tendency to respond to grievances with arrests, rather than engagement, could further erode public trust in government and state institutions.

Akpoti-Uduaghan stated, “Dialogue, not detention, is the pathway to peace and progress. Our youths must never be criminalised for speaking up on issues that directly affect their environment, welfare and future. A society that silences its young people is one that mortgages its tomorrow.”

The lawmaker, who represents Kogi Central Senatorial District, expressed concern that the incident reflected a broader pattern of intolerance for dissent across the country, particularly against students and young Nigerians who were increasingly vocal about governance, security and economic challenges.

She urged the Edo State government to reassess its priorities, and said that the state was grappling with serious security challenges that required urgent attention rather than the suppression of peaceful protests.

She stated, “The government of Edo State should be more concerned about the rising cases of kidnapping and other forms of insecurity that have continued to put residents in fear.  Suppressing discerning and courageous voices will not solve these problems; it will only deepen frustration and alienation.”