Peter Obi, the 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, has criticized the Edo State government over the arrest and remand of 52 students from Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma.

In a statement, Obi described the detention as “unacceptable and dangerous for democracy,” stressing that citizens should not be punished for protesting against insecurity while kidnappers and bandits remain at large.

He said the arrests were a troubling response to a legitimate civic action, noting that the students were highlighting the insecurity devastating their communities.

Obi added that the students were reportedly removed from their hostels at night, a move he said reflected a “disturbing inversion of priorities” by the authorities.

“I have just been made aware of the alarming arrest and remand of 52 students in Ekpoma, Edo State, who bravely called for an end to the terror of kidnappers and bandits plaguing their community. Fight bandits, not students,” Obi wrote on X.

The former Anambra State governor emphasized that punishing citizens for voicing grievances undermines the democratic principle of accountability.

He criticized the authorities for treating students as criminals while the actual perpetrators of violence remain unaccountable.

Obi’s statement comes amid growing concerns over insecurity in parts of Edo State, where kidnappings and banditry have affected students and residents alike.

The development has sparked public debate about the balance between law enforcement and the right to peaceful protest in Nigeria.

Obi called on the Edo State government to prioritize combating crime over penalizing citizens exercising their democratic rights.