Rights Group Condemns Arrest Of 52 AAU Students, Demands Release

A civil rights group, Citizens’ Gavel, has called for the immediate release of 52 students of Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Edo State, who were remanded following a protest against insecurity.

The students were arrested after a demonstration in Ekpoma, the headquarters of Esan West Local Government Area, turned violent.

The protest, which began on Saturday as a peaceful demonstration against rising cases of kidnapping and killings in the area, reportedly turned violent.

According to a statement issued on Tuesday by the Senior Legal Analyst, Sylvester Agih, the students were arrested from their hostels at night, with some not even participating in the protest.

The group described the arrests as unfair and unconstitutional, stating that the remand of the students amounts to a breach of their constitutional rights.

“Citizens’ Gavel stands with the students of AAU and all concerned Nigerians in demanding the immediate release of the 52 students who were unfairly arrested and detained for protesting the insecurity affecting their university.

“ It is a clear injustice that students calling for an end to robbery, kidnapping and banditry in their university community were not arrested at the protest or at the scene of the alleged vandalism, but were instead taken from their hostels at night like hardened criminals.

“It is especially concerning that some of those arrested did not even join the protest. Let us be clear: suspicion of civil unrest cannot excuse such an unjust process. It has become telling how security forces suddenly become hyper-vigilant when suppressing dissent.

Agih emphasised that protests are protected under Section 40 of the 1999 Constitution and that suspects must be promptly informed of the reasons for their arrest and allowed access to legal counsel, as stipulated under Section 35(2).

“That the Nigeria Police Force would undertake such an offensive against unarmed students while banditry and theft have flourished in the university vicinity for months, with no significant arrests made, is a gross misplacement of proactiveness,” the statement said.

The rights group emphasised that protests are protected under Section 40 of the 1999 Constitution and that suspects must be promptly informed of the reasons for their arrest and allowed access to legal counsel, as stipulated under Section 35(2).

“Need we remind the Edo State Government that protests remain a lawful exercise guaranteed by Section 40 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended). We also need to remind the Nigeria Police Force that under Section 35(2) of the same Constitution, any suspect must be informed promptly of the reason for their arrest and be accorded reasonable facilities to obtain legal advice. Reports indicating that these students were denied these fundamental rights render this entire mass arrest exercise a breach of the principles of fairness and legality, and therefore unjust,” the group said.

The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has also demanded the immediate and unconditional release of the students, warning that any delay or attempt to justify their continued detention would be viewed as oppression against the Nigerian student community.

Also, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has condemned the arrest, urging authorities to engage in dialogue rather than detention.

The Edo State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has also demanded the release of the students, describing their arrest as an attempt to intimidate and suppress democratic expression.

The students are currently remanded at the Ubiaja Correctional Centre, with their case adjourned to February 26, 2026.