By Ladidi Sabo
Nigeria’s deepening security crisis has exposed a growing paradox at the heart of governance: while authorities engage in negotiations and amnesty deals with bandits and violent actors, students and civilians who protest insecurity increasingly face arrest, detention and prosecution.
That contradiction came into sharp focus in Edo State this week, following the arrest and remand of 52 students of Ambrose Alli University (AAU), Ekpoma, who were swept up after a protest against kidnapping and violent crime in the university town.
The crackdown has drawn condemnation from across the political spectrum, with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan warning that the state’s response reflects a broader, dangerous intolerance for dissent.
Atiku: Arrest Protesters, Negotiate With Criminals
In a statement posted on X, Atiku condemned the detention of the students, describing it as “high-handedness” under President Bola Tinubu’s administration and a betrayal of constitutional guarantees.
“It is unacceptable that authorities would respond to peaceful protests by arresting and detaining dozens of students,” Atiku said, stressing that the right to protest is explicitly protected under Nigerian law and repeatedly affirmed by the courts.
More pointedly, the former vice president questioned the state’s priorities.
“If the same level of energy used in arresting protesters were applied to tackling terrorism and banditry—rather than negotiating with criminals—communities across the country would be safer,” he said.
The remark taps into a growing national unease: while governments at federal and state levels pursue dialogue, rehabilitation and reintegration programmes for armed groups, citizens who publicly demand security are often treated as threats to public order.
Atiku called for the immediate and unconditional release of all students detained for what he described as the lawful exercise of their constitutional rights.
Students as Suspects, Insecurity as Afterthought
The AAU protest was triggered by repeated kidnappings in Ekpoma, including the abduction of two medical doctors and reports that one was killed in captivity. Residents say fear has become routine in the university town, with attacks on highways and mass abductions compounding anxiety.
Yet instead of decisive action against criminal networks, the state’s immediate response was mass arrests, late-night hostel raids and criminal charges ranging from malicious damage to armed robbery—allegations widely criticised by lawyers and rights groups as disproportionate and unfounded.
For critics, the message is chilling: protest insecurity and risk becoming a suspect.
Akpoti-Uduaghan: ‘Dialogue, Not Detention’
Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents Kogi Central, described the arrests as an “assault on democratic freedoms” and an attempt to silence youth voices.
In a statement, she faulted both security agencies and Edo State authorities for what she called the “unlawful and heavy-handed” treatment of students engaged in civic action.
“Civic engagement, peaceful protest and dissent are fundamental pillars of democracy and must never be criminalised,” she said.
Akpoti-Uduaghan warned that responding to grievances with arrests rather than dialogue risks eroding public trust and deepening alienation, especially among young Nigerians already disillusioned by economic hardship and insecurity.
“Dialogue, not detention, is the pathway to peace and progress,” she said. “A society that silences its young people is one that mortgages its tomorrow.”
A Broader Pattern of Intolerance
Both Atiku and Akpoti-Uduaghan framed the Ekpoma incident as part of a wider national trend in which dissent—particularly by students and young people—is increasingly met with force.
Analysts note that this approach stands in stark contrast to the state’s willingness to negotiate with armed groups responsible for mass kidnappings, killings and displacement across the country.
“The optics are damaging,” said a political analyst in Abuja. “When protesters are treated more harshly than criminals, the state undermines its own moral authority.”
Security or Silence?
As Edo authorities move to review the arrests under pressure, the episode leaves a deeper question unresolved: is Nigeria’s security strategy focused on protecting citizens—or managing their anger?
For many students and residents of Ekpoma, the protest was not an act of defiance but a plea for safety. The response they received, critics argue, signals a government more comfortable negotiating with violence than listening to voices calling for protection.
