Abduljelil IssaThe Edo State High Court, Criminal Court 2, has ordered the remand of 52 youths linked to the protest that disrupted the Ekpoma area of the state, committing them to the Ubiaja Correctional Centre.
The protesting youths, said to be largely students of Ambrose Alli University, took to the streets on Saturday, January 10, to protest the rising cases of kidnapping and worsening insecurity in their Edo Central community.
Reports indicated that during the protest, several properties were damaged, including the palace of the community’s traditional ruler. Videos showing the activities of the protesters later circulated widely on social media platforms.
In response to the destruction, the police carried out a large-scale clampdown, leading to the arrest of numerous youths.
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“Regrettably, the protest was hijacked, and all the rules of peaceful protest were ignored, which led to incidents, including malicious damages, looting of property, vandalisation of shops, as well as a military personnel discharging firearms at a protester,” the statement signed by the Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Eno Ikoedem, partly read.
The police further explained that individuals involved in acts of “violence, vandalism, and looting” were identified and apprehended, adding that investigations were ongoing to ensure all those found culpable were prosecuted.
Those arrested were arraigned by the police yesterday (Monday), January 12, before the State High Court. The court subsequently ordered that they be remanded at the Ubiaja prison facility until February 26.
Parents of the affected youths were seen struggling to hand over water, drinks, food, and money as the suspects were led into the Black Maria after the court session, on their way to Ubiaja.
Findings revealed that many of the suspects claimed they were picked up from their homes by security operatives during the night, while others were arrested early Sunday morning, before being taken directly to the Nigeria Police state command headquarters.
See the video of the remanded protesters below:
Nigeria’s insecurity has taken on a new phase, with the international community, particularly the United States, becoming involved through an airstrike launched some days ago. Prior to this, President Tinubu had declared a state of emergency on security in a bid to address the situation.
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