A High Court in Benin City, Edo State, has ordered the remand of 52 students of Ambrose Alli University (AAU), Ekpoma, following their arrest in connection with a protest against kidnapping and insecurity in the university town.
The students were arrested after a public demonstration held in Ekpoma, in the Esan West Local Government Area, where residents and students demanded urgent action from authorities over repeated incidents of abduction and violent crime. Media reports indicate that the protest, which began peacefully, was later disrupted after alleged hoodlums hijacked it, leading to attacks on traders and damage to property, including the palace of the Onojie of Ekpoma, Zaiki Anthony Abumere II.
According to accounts from students and their lawyers, many of those detained were not arrested at the protest venue. Instead, security operatives reportedly carried out coordinated late-night and early-morning raids on student hostels and private residences in Ekpoma, with several arrests taking place around 3am.
On Monday, January 12, 2026, the students were arraigned before the Benin High Court on charges including malicious damage and armed robbery. Police prosecutors filed an ex parte application seeking their remand under Sections 293(1) and 296(1) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law of Edo State, 2016, pending legal advice from the Director of Public Prosecution.
The presiding judge, Justice William Aziegbemi, ruled that the court lacked jurisdiction to hear the matter and directed defence counsel to file bail applications at the Ubiaja High Court. The case has been adjourned to February 26, 2026, while the students remain in a correctional facility.
The remand has drawn widespread condemnation. The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) described the prosecution of the students as a violation of their constitutional rights to peaceful assembly and expression, calling for their immediate and unconditional release. Civil society actors and opposition figures have similarly criticised what they describe as the criminalisation of dissent, rather than a focus on addressing the underlying insecurity that prompted the protest.
The Media Foundation for West Africa calls on Edo State authorities to respect the right to peaceful assembly, ensure due process (including bail) for all detainees, and take credible steps to address the insecurity affecting students and residents of Ekpoma.
