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 freed. The Edo State Commissioner for Education, Paddy Iyamu, who was present to oversee the process, confirmed that only individuals verified as students would be released.
Speaking during a meeting with the President of the Students’ Union Government of Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, on Tuesday, the governor insisted that the disturbance in the area was not organised by students of the institution. He maintained that the incident was the handiwork of criminal elements who were not students but had taken advantage of the school environment to cause unrest.
According to Okpebholo, the events that unfolded on Saturday amounted to criminality rather than a legitimate protest. He accused non-students hiding around the campus of fomenting trouble and extorting 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. 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 said.
He reassured the SUG leadership that any genuine students who may have been arrested during efforts to restore order would be promptly identified and released.
The governor emphasised that innocent students should not suffer for actions they did not initiate. “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 reports linking the incident to kidnapping, describing such claims as false and deliberately orchestrated to mislead the public and inflame ethnic tensions. He alleged that the kidnapping narrative was fabricated. “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.
Condemning the burning of markets and destruction of property in Ekpoma, the governor warned that anyone found sponsoring or using hoodlums to destabilise communities in Edo State would face the full weight of the law, regardless of political standing.
He vowed that justice would be served to protect lives, property and the state’s economy. “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,” he added.
What you should know
The Ekpoma unrest has drawn attention to growing concerns over security around tertiary institutions in Edo State.
Governor Okpebholo’s intervention seeks to separate genuine students from criminal elements allegedly exploiting campus environments for violence and extortion. By ordering the release of verified students and rejecting claims of kidnapping, the state government is attempting to calm tensions while reinforcing its stance against lawlessness.
Authorities insist investigations will continue to identify those responsible for deaths, arson and destruction of property, with assurances that political influence will not shield anyone from accountability.
