Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa, CAPPA, has condemned the arrest and detention of 52 students of Ambrose Alli University, AAU, Ekpoma, Edo State, over a protest against rising kidnapping incidents in the area.
In a statement on Tuesday, CAPPA described the remand of the students at the Ubiaja Correctional Centre on charges of malicious damage and robbery as unjust and misplaced, accusing the Edo State Government and the Nigeria Police Force of targeting victims instead of addressing worsening insecurity.
The students were arrested during a midnight raid on hostels around 3 a.m. on Sunday, with armed officers reportedly dragging students from their rooms. CAPPA noted that some of those arrested were not involved in the protest and were taken away in their sleepwear.
The protest, held on Saturday, January 10, 2026, followed repeated kidnappings near student hostels and campus routes in Ekpoma. CAPPA noted that another abduction was reportedly captured on CCTV shortly after the protest, underscoring the security concerns raised by the students.
Reacting, CAPPA said the state’s response reflected a failure of governance.
“Instead of confronting kidnappers who operate with impunity, the government has turned its force against students who demanded safety,” the organisation stated.
Assistant Executive Director of CAPPA, Zikora Ibeh, stressed that peaceful protest is a constitutional right.
“These students are victims twice over, first of insecurity and then of state repression. Arresting them only deepens fear, disrupts learning, and worsens the mental and physical safety of young people, especially female students,” she said.
CAPPA warned that criminalising protest while insecurity persists would further erode public trust and social stability.
The organisation called for the immediate release of the detained students, an independent investigation into the arrests, and urgent action by the Edo State Government to tackle kidnapping through improved security oversight and community engagement.
“Jailing students will not stop kidnappings,” CAPPA said. “Only genuine commitment to public safety will.”