Nigeria’s Descent into Injustice: Ekpoma Arrests and the Dangerous Politics of 2027

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By Hon Daniel Asekhame 

On January 10, 2026, residents and students in Ekpoma, Edo State took to the streets to protest an escalating wave of kidnappings and insecurity in their community — particularly around Ambrose Alli University (AAU), where fear has become part of daily life. What began as a peaceful demand for safety quickly became a flashpoint for deeper political dysfunction across Nigeria.

Within days, 52 young Nigerians — including dozens of university students — were arrested, remanded in prison under charges including malicious damage and armed robbery, and held at Ubiaja Correctional Centre. Critics say the arrests were indiscriminate and, in many cases, unconstitutional — with students reportedly being picked up from their hostels in late-night police raids, not at the protest scene.

Civil society groups and political figures have condemned the government’s response as an assault on democratic rights rather than an effort to secure the lives and property of citizens. The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) and groups such as Citizens’ Gavel have labelled the arrests a criminalisation of peaceful expression.

“What is happening in Ekpoma is not just about insecurity — it is about the intolerance of dissent,” said former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, criticising the current administration’s priorities and urging the government to focus on combating crime rather than suppressing protest.

Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan echoed these concerns, calling for the unconditional release of detained students and warning against stifling civic engagement in a democracy.

Yet the Edo State Government has defended its actions, dismissing the unrest as a “well-organised riot” and even suggesting foreign orchestration of the protests — claims largely contradicted by independent reporting that the core grievance was local insecurity.

Across Nigeria, insecurity has devastated communities for years. While official national statistics on deaths and kidnappings are limited, independent reports and historical data suggest tens of thousands of Nigerians have lost their lives to violence linked to banditry, kidnapping, and insurgency over recent years — with some datasets estimating hundreds of thousands of violent deaths in just one period due to widespread crime.

Yet this crisis persists, and many communities feel abandoned as law enforcement struggles to protect citizens. In Ekpoma — as elsewhere — parents now worry not just about exams, but whether their children will return home .

What makes the Ekpoma situation even more disturbing is its political context. Nigeria is already deep into politicking ahead of the 2027 general elections, and critics argue that security policy and enforcement have become tools tied to politics rather than public safety.

Voices from southern communities say that security responses seem inconsistent, focusing energy on controlling dissenters rather than dismantling criminal networks terrorising everyday Nigerians. Some observers even allege that political calculations — especially in marginal regions that could determine electoral outcomes — influence when and how security operations are pursued. These are serious accusations, but they reflect deep public distrust in institutions meant to protect all citizens equally.

The arrests in Ekpoma underscore a dangerous trend: rights are suspended when citizens demand their government uphold its basic duty — security. When peaceful protest is treated as a crime and violent gangs continue to roam freely, the very foundations of law and democratic governance are threatened.

As leading voices warn, the attention and resources that went into rounding up students could be better used to pursue the real threats to communities — kidnappers, armed criminals, and destabilising networks that violate human dignity and security.

If Nigeria cannot protect its students, its youth, its most vulnerable communities, what hope is there for a meaningful, peaceful and inclusive 2027 election?

The people of Edo Central, and indeed of Nigeria, deserve justice — not punishment for demanding it.





Comments

Anonymous said…
Thank you for speaking our minds, this is beautifully written
14 January 2026 at 07:12
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