By Ayomide Otitoju
The Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has clarified that the 52 individuals arrested during recent protests in Ekpoma, Edo State, were detained for looting and vandalism, not for participating in peaceful demonstrations.
In a video posted on the Force X handle, Egbetokun dismissed claims that the arrests targeted law-abiding protesters. “In Ekpoma, yes, 52 of them were arrested during the protest, and those 52… are those people who were involved in the looting of shops and the vandalising of the palace of the Enogie of Ekpoma,” he said.
The IGP lamented that police are often wrongly accused of cracking down on peaceful protests. “When people commit criminal offences during protests, we are used to narratives that the police arrested peaceful protesters,” he said. “We are not against peaceful protest. We will continue to protect citizens who choose to protest lawfully.”
Egbetokun added that the police’s concern is with individuals who engage in violence, property destruction, and looting during demonstrations. “Peaceful protest is not a challenge to the police. It is those people who perpetrate crime during protest that we have problems with,” he said.
The Ekpoma protests were initially organized by residents and students of Ambrose Alli University (AAU) to demand government action against rising kidnappings in the area. However, the demonstrations turned violent on January 10, leading to the looting of shops and vandalism of properties.
Following the unrest, a Federal High Court in Edo State remanded 52 individuals on charges including malicious damage and armed robbery. The AAU students detained in connection with the protests have since been released.
