The Edo State Civil Society Coalition for Human Rights has strongly condemned the arrest and remand of students of Ambrose Alli University (AAU), Ekpoma, following a midnight raid carried out by officers of the Edo State Police Command.

In a press statement issued on Tuesday, January 13, 2026, the coalition described the operation as “deeply disturbing,” characterising it as a “gestapo-style” invasion of students’ private hostels.

According to the coalition, the raid was conducted in an attempt to identify students who had participated in recent protests against the rising cases of kidnapping in Ekpoma. The protesters had also criticised what they described as the failure of the Edo State Government and security agencies to effectively tackle insecurity in the area.

The statement, jointly signed by Marxist Kola Edokpayi, Coordinator General of the coalition, and Comrade Hon. Aghatise Raphael, Secretary General, disclosed that about 52 students were arrested during the operation.

While the group condemned any violence reportedly associated with the protest, it insisted that the police action was unjustified and unsupported by evidence linking the arrested students to criminal conduct.

“It is not enough for the police to invade private hostels of students in search of protesters without concrete evidence to corroborate their involvement,” the coalition said.

“The energy expended in conducting nocturnal arrests should have been deployed toward dismantling kidnappers’ hideouts and rescuing victims still held in the forests.”

The coalition also expressed concern over the court’s decision to remand the students, describing it as troubling and raising serious questions about the judiciary’s role as the “last hope of the common man.”

Reaffirming that the right to peaceful assembly and association is protected under Nigerian law and international human rights conventions, the group warned that the police action amounted to “an open invitation to tyranny, totalitarianism, despotism, and fascism.”

Quoting civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., the coalition cautioned that “injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere,” stressing that silence in the face of such actions undermines democracy and the rule of law.

The group demanded the immediate and unconditional release of all detained students, decisive action to address insecurity and kidnapping in Ekpoma and across Edo State, and a direct response from Governor Monday Okpebholo to the concerns raised by the protesters.

It also urged the judiciary to resist being used by law enforcement agencies to “pervert justice” and to remain a true safeguard for ordinary citizens.

“The protection of youths and the sanctity of human life must take precedence over the expedience of penal retribution,” the coalition concluded.