Ekpoma unrest: Okpebholo orders release of innocent AAU students

 

Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, has directed security agencies to immediately identify and release any innocent students of Ambrose Alli University (AAU), Ekpoma, who may have been arrested in connection with the recent unrest in the university town.

The Governor gave the directive on Tuesday after a meeting with the President of the Ambrose Alli University Students’ Union Government (SUG), insisting that the disturbance was not organised by students.

Okpebholo described the incident as a criminal act perpetrated by non-students who loiter around the university environment under the guise of activism, with the intention of extorting students and looting property.

“I have met with the SUG President of AAU, Ekpoma, and we had a lengthy discussion. As I have consistently maintained, this was not a students’ protest,” the Governor said.

“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,” he added.

He assured the student leadership that no genuine student would be made to suffer for offences they did not commit, stressing that any AAU student wrongly arrested during police operations would be released without delay.

“For any students that were probably arrested, we will look into it immediately and ensure their release through the SUG President. That is a promise, and it will be carried out as quickly as possible,” Okpebholo said.

The Governor further dismissed reports linking the unrest to kidnapping, describing such claims as false and stage-managed.

“The kidnapping being talked about is fake. It was stage-managed. They were arranging to kidnap and release themselves. Sadly, someone was even killed,” he said.

Condemning the burning of markets and destruction of property in Ekpoma, Okpebholo warned that anyone found sponsoring or deploying hoodlums to destabilise communities in Edo State would be decisively dealt with, irrespective of political affiliation.

“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,” he warned.

Earlier, AAU SUG President, Comrade Osadebamen Ehizogie Michael, thanked the Governor for his intervention, describing attempts to link the unrest to students as misleading.

“It is unfortunate that some people want to associate what happened with students. We want 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.