… Meets AAU SUG
… Orders release of innocent students
The Executive Governor of Edo State, Monday Okpebholo, has reiterated that the recent unrest in Ekpoma was not organised by students of Ambrose Alli University (AAU), describing the incident as a criminal act perpetrated by non-students exploiting the university environment.
The Governor made this known on Tuesday during a meeting with the President of the Students’ Union Government (SUG) of AAU, where issues surrounding the disturbance, arrests, and prevailing security concerns were extensively discussed.
According to him, intelligence reports available to the Edo State Government indicate that the violence was orchestrated by individuals operating under the guise of the “Ambrose Alli Comrade Community”—a group allegedly made up of former students and non-students loitering around the institution to foment trouble and extort law-abiding students.
“I have met with the SUG President of AAU Ekpoma. We had a very lengthy discussion, and as I have consistently said, this was not a students’ protest. These are people who are no longer students but are just hanging around the school, causing trouble and extorting students. We will put an end to that,” the Governor said.
Governor Okpebholo further assured the SUG leadership that any genuine students who may have been arrested during efforts to restore order would be promptly identified and released.
“For students who were probably arrested, we will look into it and get them released to the SUG President. That is a promise I made, and I will do it as quickly as possible. The protest was not theirs. In fact, it was not a protest at all; it was an avenue to loot,” he added.
The Governor also dismissed claims of kidnapping linked to the incident, describing them as false and allegedly stage-managed to mislead the public and stoke ethnic tension.
“The kidnapping they are talking about is fake. It was stage-managed. They were arranging to kidnap and release themselves. They even went as far as killing someone, which is the most painful part,” he said.
Condemning the burning of markets and destruction of property in Ekpoma, Governor Okpebholo warned that anyone—regardless of political affiliation—found sponsoring or using hoodlums to destabilise Edo communities would face the full weight of the law.
“I don’t care whether you are a politician or not. If you are using people to destroy our land and economy, we will go after you. We know ourselves, and we will bring those responsible to book to ensure justice for our people,” he declared.
He stressed that the state government has no grievances against AAU students, noting that the institution remains closed and that no arrests were carried out within the university campus.
Reaffirming the students’ position, the SUG President, Comrade Osadebamen Ehizogie Michael, described it as unfortunate that attempts were being made to link the unrest to the student community.
“It is pitiable that some people want to associate what happened with students. We are here to formally debunk that students did not organise any protest. His Excellency, Governor Monday Okpebholo, has been in touch with us and has assured us that any students among those arrested will be released,” he said.
Also speaking, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration) of AAU, Prof. Andrew Eromonsele, confirmed that no arrests were made within the university campus, further distancing the institution from the unrest.
The meeting was attended by the Commissioner for Education, Dr. Paddy Iyamu.
The Edo State Government reiterated its commitment to protecting students, restoring peace in Ekpoma, and ensuring that criminal elements exploiting the university environment are decisively dealt with in accordance with the law.
