Edo-born Afrobeat musician Ajakaiye Sunday, popularly known as Zunday, has condemned the detention of 52 students arrested during a recent protest in Edo State.

In a statement, Zunday criticized the underlying issues that led to the demonstration, including rising kidnappings, killings, insecurity, and poor infrastructure across the state.

“The protest did not happen in a vacuum,” he said. “It was born out of pain, fear, and long-standing frustration. Edo State has witnessed repeated cases of kidnapping, killings, growing insecurity, and poor infrastructure. Roads are unsafe, communities live in fear, and families sleep with anxiety. For too long, the cries of the people have been met with silence.”

He emphasized that citizens turn to peaceful protests when their voices are ignored:

“When a government fails to act decisively against insecurity, when citizens feel abandoned and unheard, people will eventually come out to express their anger and frustration. That expression is not rebellion. It is desperation.”

Zunday stressed that peaceful protest is a constitutional right and warned against punishing students for voicing legitimate concerns:

“If the right actions had been taken earlier, if the safety of lives had been prioritized, these young people would not have felt the need to take to the streets. It is therefore deeply troubling that the response to public frustration has been mass arrests. The same power that should protect citizens from kidnappers and killers is now being exercised against students and young people.”

The artist called on Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo to address the root causes of the protest and ensure that innocent students are not punished. He also appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Senator Adams Oshiomhole to intervene and support the citizens of Edo State.