52 young people involved in the protest that shook the state’s Ekpoma area have been placed under remand at the Ubiaja Correctional Center by the Edo State High Court, Cr!.minal Court 2.

On Saturday, January 10, the protesting youths, who were reportedly primarily Ambrose Alli University students, took to the streets to express their disapproval of the rising number of k!.dnappings and insecurity in their Edo Central region community. The community’s monarch’s palace was among the properties destroyed during the demonstration. Social media users shared videos of the young people protesting.

Later, the police intervened, claimed that some thugs had taken over the demonstration, and made a few arrests.

“Regrettably, the protest was hijacked, and all the rules of peaceful protest were ignored, which led to incidents, including malicious damages, looting of property, v@ndalisation 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.

Additionally, the police said that individuals who committed “v!0lence, v@ndalism, and looting” were located and taken into custody, and that comprehensive investigations were underway to guarantee that all those responsible were held accountable.

The police arraigned those who had been detained before the State High Court on Monday, January 12. Their remand in Ubiaja prison custody until February 26 was approved by the court. 

Tears flowed freely as mothers and fathers struggled to give water, drinks, food and money as they were marched into the Black Maria after the sitting enroute Ubiaja.

Most of the suspects said they were abducted from their residences by security agencies at night and some early Sunday morning and were moved straight to the state command headquarters of the Nigeria Police.