The release of those detained in connection with the protests in Ekpoma has been authorized by Monday Okpebholo, the governor of Edo State.
Seven of the first suspects were freed.
According to Channels TV, Edo State Commissioner for Education Paddy Iyamu, who was present to help with the discharge, affirmed that only recognized children would be allowed to go.
According to Okpebholo, who met with the president of Ambrose Alli University’s Students’ Union Government (SUG) at Ekpoma yesterday, the unrest in the area was not planned by the school’s students.
The governor characterized Saturday’s protests as a criminal act committed by non-students who were hiding around the school to incite unrest and extort law-abiding pupils.
I had a meeting with AAU Ekpoma’s SUG President. We had a long conversation, and as I have always stated, this was not a protest by the students. These individuals are merely loitering about the school, causing disturbance and extorting pupils, even though they are no longer students. “We’ll stop that,” the governor declared.
However, he gave the SUG leadership his word that any real students who might have been detained while reestablishing order would be found and promptly freed.
“We will investigate and release the students who were most likely arrested to the SUG President.” I made that commitment, and I’ll fulfill it as soon as I can. They did not start the demonstration. It was actually a way to plunder, not a protest at all,” he continued.
Additionally, the governor rejected allegations of kidnapping connected to the event, characterizing them as fabricated and staged to deceive the public and incite ethnic conflict.
“The abduction they are discussing is not real. They stage-managed it. They planned to abduct and then free themselves. The most agonizing element, he said, was that they even killed someone.
Governor Okpebholo denounced the burning of markets and damage of property in Ekpoma and threatened to prosecute anyone, regardless of political affiliation, who was discovered to be using or financing thugs to undermine Edo towns.
“Whether you are a politician or not is irrelevant to me. We will pursue you if you use people to ruin our economy and land. To ensure justice for our people, we will hold those accountable because we know ourselves,” he continued.
Prominent Nigerians have been calling for the authorities to free the students who were detained during and after the protest in Ekpoma, Edo State, according to The Frontier.
According to reports, the demonstration was in response to the increasing number of kidnapping instances in the region.
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