A coalition operating under the banner of Edo Civil Society Organizations (EDOCSO) has issued a seven-day ultimatum to the Edo State Government and the state Commissioner of Police, demanding the release of 52 anti-kidnapping protesters currently remanded at a Correctional Centre.
The call was made by the Secretary General of the group, Leftist Godspower Okumbor, in a statement released to journalists on Tuesday, the 13th of January, 2026, in Benin City.
EDOCSO also urged the state government and security agencies to urgently redirect their efforts towards arresting kidnappers, terrorists, murderers and individuals allegedly siphoning public funds through ransom payments.
“We are calling on the Edo state government and the Nigeria Police to, as a matter of urgency, release the 52 Edo students that are currently held in Ubiaja correctional facility, while the police must go after the kidnappers terrorising Ekpoma and bring them before the law.
“The people of Ekpoma and other parts of the state who have been guaranteed the security of their lives and properties during the last electioneering campaign must not suffer or be dehumanised for the security ineptitude of the government.
“Mr Governor should rather channel his energy into more resources to invest adequately in the state security architecture for the protection of lives and property of citizens, instead of these ‘kindergarten’ policing systems of using the commissioner of police to harass innocent but ever active citizens of Edo that he promised to protect.
“The concern of the Edo government should not only be about infrastructural developments but more about the respect and protection of the lives and property of citizens,” he said.
Okumbor expressed concern over what he described as the indiscriminate arrest and prosecution of 52 students of Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, following protests against persistent kidnapping incidents in and around the university community.
He maintained that protest remains a constitutionally guaranteed right and a legitimate channel for citizens to express grievances, stressing that it should not be criminalised by authorities or security agencies.
According to him, protests also serve as a democratic tool through which citizens draw the attention of government and its institutions to pressing issues affecting them.
“Protests must be carried out in a manner devoid of destruction of public properties and other criminal activities. It is a known fact that, in war, there are inevitable casualties.
“These outcomes can be mitigated through a process of de-escalation and addressing the remote cause of action”, he added.
The EDOCSO secretary further argued that the protests were triggered by the failure of government to safeguard lives and property, especially as kidnappers allegedly operated freely in Ekpoma before the demonstrations erupted.
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He called on governments at all levels to be proactive and committed to their fundamental responsibility of protecting citizens.
The group criticised the Edo State Police Command for allegedly failing to apprehend any kidnappers even after the protest, while swiftly mobilising personnel and resources to arrest students accused of vandalism and theft during the demonstration, leading to the arraignment of 52 individuals.
EDOCSO insisted that residents of Edo State deserve responsive and effective policing, alleging that mass arrests without subsequent convictions have become a recurring pattern in the state.
“This is a distraction at its best as a similar pattern was observed during the state government fight against cultism. Edo State security architecture is due for an overhaul,” he added.