The Take-It-Back Movement has condemned the arrest and remand of 52 students of Ambrose Alli University (AAU), Ekpoma, Edo State, describing the operation as a gross abuse of power and a violation of fundamental human rights.

In a statement released on Monday and signed by the National Coordinator, Sanyaolu Juwon, the group criticized the midnight police raids that saw officers storm student hostels across Ekpoma, arresting young people from their rooms.

The organisation accused the authorities of attempting to intimidate students who had exercised their constitutional right to protest against the rising wave of kidnappings and insecurity in the state.

“This disgraceful operation, carried out in the dead of night, involved police officers indiscriminately arresting students from their rooms. Peaceful protest is not a crime,” the statement read.
“Barely a day after the protest, another resident of Ekpoma was abducted in a brazen operation captured on CCTV. The state appears swift in arresting students but powerless in confronting armed criminals terrorising its people.”

The movement described the arrests as arbitrary and politically motivated, and called for the immediate and unconditional release of the students, as well as the withdrawal of fabricated charges.

Take-It-Back also demanded accountability from the Edo State government and the police, including a public apology for the illegal midnight operation, punishment for the officers involved, and the resignation of the Governor over the failure to protect lives and property.

“We reject, in the strongest terms, the attempt to scapegoat students for the government’s failure to secure lives and property. Peaceful dissent cannot be criminalised in a democratic society,” Juwon added.
“The continued detention of these students will only deepen public anger. History has shown that repression fuels resistance, not obedience. The Take-It-Back Movement stands in full solidarity with the students of Ambrose Alli University and the people of Edo State.”