AfriPulse
The Edo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has demanded the immediate and unconditional release of more than 52 individuals, primarily students from Ambrose Alli University (AAU), Ekpoma, who were remanded following a protest against local insecurity.
The opposition party leveled harsh criticism against Governor Monday Okpebholo’s administration, characterizing its response to the crisis as a combination of incompetence and authoritarianism. According to the PDP, the town of Ekpoma has been “abandoned” to kidnappers and violent gangs, leaving residents in a state of constant fear.
In a scathing statement released Monday by Publicity Secretary Dan Osa-Ogbegie, the PDP argued that the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led government lacks a functional security strategy. The party alleged that the administration has chosen to suppress civic expression rather than dismantling the criminal networks terrorizing the region.
The statement read, in part: “The arrest and continued detention of peaceful protesters, many of them students, exposes the true character of the APC government in Edo State—brutal towards citizens, timid before criminals, and hostile to democratic expression.”
The party further emphasized its stance on the rising crime rate: “As a party, we are opposed to kidnapping and killings in all their forms and demand the immediate dismantling of criminal networks operating freely across Ekpoma and neighbouring communities.”
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The unrest in Esan West Local Government Area began on Saturday following the killing of a local youth on Friday night. What started as a peaceful demonstration against escalating kidnappings quickly spiraled into chaos. While residents blocked major highways to voice their grievances, the situation was reportedly hijacked by hoodlums.
The violence escalated as miscreants attacked a livestock market and vandalized the palace of the Onojie of Ekpoma, Zaiki Anthony Abumere II—an act that Governor Okpebholo has since condemned.
Amidst the turmoil, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Eno Ikoedem, confirmed a serious escalation involving security forces, noting that a soldier had shot one individual. Ikoedem stated that the incident had been “referred to military authorities for investigation.”
Despite the hijacking of the event by bad actors, the PDP maintained that the original protest by the students and residents was a “lawful, courageous and constitutionally protected” act of civic duty.
Demanding the release of the dozens of students currently in custody, the party described their remand as “oppressive, unlawful and a blatant abuse of power,” adding that “Edo State was fast acquiring a reputation for punishing victims while protecting perpetrators.”
The party concluded by asserting that “only a government afraid of accountability would criminalise such civic action.”
Source: RipplesNigeria | Read the Full Story…
