Ekpoma Violence: Suspects Held Not Protesters – IG

The Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has said that the 52 people arrested during the recent unrest in Ekpoma, Edo State, were involved in criminal acts and not peaceful protests.

Egbetokun said reports presented to him showed that those arrested were linked to the looting of shops and the vandalism of the palace of the Enogie of Ekpoma, dismissing claims that the police detained innocent demonstrators.

Speaking during an interview aired on Channels Television on Saturday, the police chief described allegations of a crackdown on peaceful demonstrators as a misleading narrative often directed at the police after protests turn violent.

“In Ekpoma, yes, 52 of them were arrested during the protest, and those 52, from the report coming to me, are those people who were involved in the looting of shops and the vandalising of the palace of the Enogie of Ekpoma.

“That was the report I have, not arrest and detention of peaceful protesters. No. That’s the usual wrong narrative that we are used to in Nigeria. So I debunk that,” he said.

He explained that the police frequently face accusations of targeting peaceful demonstrators even when crimes such as arson, looting and attacks on security formations occur under the cover of protests.

According to him, the police have no issue with lawful demonstrations and will not arrest anyone for participating in peaceful protests, stressing that officers are instead mandated to provide protection for such gatherings.

Egbetokun said the concern of the police arises when protests are hijacked by individuals who engage in violence, destroy property or loot businesses, noting that such actions constitute criminal offences.

The remarks follow public outcry over reports that students of Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, were among 52 persons remanded at the Ubiaja Correctional Centre over offences including malicious damage and armed robbery.

The arrests followed a protest in Ekpoma over insecurity, which authorities said later degenerated into violence after suspected hoodlums attacked traders, vandalised property and blocked roads.

Several activists and political figures, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, had criticised the arrests, describing them as an attempt to suppress democratic expression.

However, the Edo State Government rejected claims that the unrest was a student protest, describing the incident as a coordinated riot aimed at destabilising the state.