January 12, 2026
By Stephen — Dalena Reporters
EKPOMA, Edo State, Nigeria — A Benin High Court on Monday ordered the remand of 52 individuals, including students of Ambrose Alli University (AAU), to the Ubiaja Correctional Centre following a police-led operation that targeted young people suspected of participating in protests against rising kidnapping and insecurity in Ekpoma, a university town in Edo State’s Esan West Local Government Area.
The detained students were among dozens of youths arrested over the weekend after demonstrations erupted on Saturday demanding urgent government action to address escalating abductions and violence in the region. According to witness accounts, operatives of the Nigeria Police Force conducted a coordinated late-night raid on student hostels across Ekpoma, arresting students in their rooms some of whom said they were asleep at the time.
The police subsequently charged the suspects in court, prompting an application to remand them in custody. During Monday’s proceedings, presiding Justice William Aziegbemi ruled that the court lacked jurisdiction to adjudicate the matter and directed defence counsel to file bail applications at the Ubiaja High Court. The case was adjourned to February 26, 2026, for further hearing.
Prosecutors filed the remand motion under Sections 293(1) and 296(1) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law of Edo State, 2016, seeking to keep the suspects in detention while awaiting legal advice from the Director of Public Prosecution.
Emotional scenes unfolded at the court as relatives of the accused broke down in tears while the suspects were escorted into prison vehicles following the ruling. Some parents insisted their children had no involvement in the protest, with one father, identified as Abdulsalam, asserting that his sons were wrongly arrested despite not participating in the demonstration.
Defence lawyers also condemned the charges, describing them as unfounded and asserting that the protest was peaceful before being overshadowed by unrelated violence. Several detainees claimed police picked them up at random from their hostels rather than at the protest site itself.
The protest that sparked the crackdown was organised to highlight growing concerns over frequent kidnappings, which have left residents alarmed and demanding greater security measures. Reports from earlier in the weekend indicate that the unrest in Ekpoma included acts of vandalism and the looting of shops, with some violent elements allegedly hijacking parts of the demonstration though students and families maintain that many detainees were not involved in such actions.
Civil rights observers and student bodies have condemned the authorities’ response, stating that criminalising peaceful protest could exacerbate tensions and undermine constitutional rights. Calls for the students’ release have been echoed by national organisations and advocacy groups, urging the Edo State Government and security agencies to respect citizens’ rights to lawful assembly and to prioritise addressing insecurity that continues to afflict communities across the region.