CAPPA Demands Release of 52 AAU Students Arrested Over Kidnapping Protest

CAPPA Demands Release of 52 AAU Students Arrested Over Kidnapping Protest

By prince Benson Davies

The Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) has strongly condemned the imprisonment of 52 students of Ambrose Alli University (AAU), Ekpoma, in Edo State, who were arrested in connection with a protest against rising kidnappings in the area. The organization has demanded their immediate and unconditional release.

According to eyewitness accounts and media reports, security forces carried out a midnight raid on student hostels in the early hours of Sunday, at about 3 a.m. Armed officers forced their way into rooms, dragged students from their students from their beds, and arrested them in a sweeping operation that threw the campus into fear. Some of those detained were reportedly unconnected to the protest and were taken away in their sleepwear.

The protest, which took place on Saturday, January 10, 2026, was a desperate cry against the wave of abductions plaguing Ekpoma, the headquarters of Esan West Local Government Area. Students, alongside community members, had marched to demand basic security after repeated abductions near hostels and along school routes. Just a day after the protest, another kidnapping was caught on CCTV, reinforcing claims that the area had become very unsafe.

CAPPA has described the state’s response to the protest as “absurd, unjust, and morally bankrupt.” The organization accused the Edo State government and operatives of the Nigeria Police Force of turning state violence on victims while kidnappers continue to operate freely. CAPPA warned that students now live under siege, and the situation damages learning and scars mental health.

CAPPA emphasized that the arrests reflect a deeper failure of governance in Edo State and across Nigeria, where insecurity grows while governments criminalize those who speak out. The organization noted that peaceful protest remains a constitutionally guaranteed right in Nigeria and a basic tool for holding power to account.

CAPPA has demanded the immediate and unconditional release of the 52 students arrested. The organization has also called for an independent investigation into the arrests and accountability for abuses recorded during the raid. CAPPA urged the Edo State government to stop criminalizing protest and start governing by investing in real security oversight, engaging students and communities honestly, and addressing root causes such as poverty, unemployment, and social neglect.

The situation in Ekpoma highlights the need for the government to prioritize security and address the root causes of insecurity. CAPPA’s demands are a reminder that the rights of citizens must be respected and protected. The organization has expressed solidarity with the detained students and all Nigerians living under insecurity.