Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, has ordered the immediate identification and release of any innocent Ambrose Alli University (AAU), Ekpoma students who may have been arrested by the police following the recent unrest in the university town
The governor gave the directive on Tuesday during a meeting with the President of the Ambrose Alli University Students’ Union Government (SUG), insisting that AAU students neither organised nor participated in the disturbance.
Governor Okpebholo maintained that the incident was criminal, not a student protest, and was carried out by non-students who loiter around the university environment under the guise of activism, with the aim of causing trouble, extorting students, and looting property.
“I have met with the SUG President of AAU, Ekpoma, and we had a very lengthy discussion. As I have consistently maintained, this was not a students’ protest.
“These are individuals who are no longer students but hang around the school environment causing trouble and extorting law-abiding students. We will put an end to that,” the governor said.
He assured student leaders that his administration would not allow genuine students to suffer for offences they did not commit, stressing that any AAU student wrongly arrested would be released without delay.
“For any students that were probably arrested, we will look into it immediately and ensure they are released through the SUG President. That is a promise, and it will be carried out as quickly as possible.
“The protest was not organised by students. In fact, it was not a protest at all. It was simply an avenue to loot,” he added.
Governor Okpebholo also dismissed claims linking the unrest to kidnapping, describing such reports as false and stage-managed.
“The kidnapping they are talking about is fake. It was stage-managed. They were arranging to kidnap and release themselves. The most painful part is that someone was even killed,” he said.
He condemned the burning of markets and destruction of property in Ekpoma and warned that anyone sponsoring or using hoodlums to destabilise communities in Edo State would be dealt with decisively.
“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. Those responsible will be brought to book so justice can be served,” the governor warned.
Speaking on behalf of the students, AAU SUG President, Comrade Osadebamen Ehizogie Michael, thanked the governor for his intervention and described attempts to link the violence to students as unfortunate and misleading.
“It is pitiable that some people want to associate what happened with students. We are here to clearly state that students did not organise any protest,” he said.
Also speaking, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration), Prof. Andrew Eromonsele, confirmed that no arrests were made within the university campus, further distancing the institution from the violence.
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