Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has condemned the arrest and arraignment of students of Ambrose Alli University (AAU), Ekpoma, following a violent protest in the Edo State town, describing the action as an intolerant and heavy-handed response by the Federal Government.
The students were arrested after a protest in Ekpoma, headquarters of Esan West Local Government Area, which began as a peaceful demonstration against rising cases of kidnappings and killings in the area but later turned violent.
During the protest, several shops were reportedly looted, while the palace of the Onojie of Ekpoma was also said to have been vandalised.
Reacting to the development in a statement posted on his verified X account on Tuesday, Atiku criticised the handling of the situation by the Bola Tinubu-led administration, insisting that the right to protest is constitutionally guaranteed.
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"The level of intolerance and high-handedness of the Bola Tinubu administration is concerning," Atiku wrote.
"It is unacceptable that the authorities' response to students' protest against insecurity in the Ekpoma area of Edo State is to arrest and detain dozens of students of the Ambrose Alli University (AAU)."
The former vice-president stressed that citizens, including students, have the right to express grievances over insecurity without fear of repression. He noted that the right to protest is protected by the constitution and has been upheld by the courts.
"The right to protest is not only enshrined in the constitution but has also been validated by the courts," he said, adding that the primary duty of government is to protect lives and property.
Atiku argued that the focus of security agencies should be on tackling criminality rather than suppressing citizens who raise concerns about safety.
"If the energy with which innocent students and citizens are arrested for raising concerns about insecurity were deployed to fighting terrorism and banditry, instead of negotiating with the criminals, our communities would be safer," he stated.
He called on the authorities to immediately release the detained students, describing their arrest as unjustified and unconstitutional.
"I call for the immediate and unconstitutional release of all those unjustifiably detained for asserting their legitimate rights to protest," Atiku said.
