The Edo State High Court, Criminal Court 2, has ordered the remand of 52 youths involved in the protest that rocked the Ekpoma area of the state at the Ubiaja Correctional Centre.
The protesting youths who were reportedly mainly students of the Ambrose Alli University had taken to the streets on Saturday January 10 to protest the increasing spate of kidnapping and insecurity in their community located in Edo Central region.
During the protest, several properties including the palace of the monarch in the community were destroyed. Videos of the protesting youths made the rounds on social media.
The police later stepped, alleged that the protest was hijacked by some hoodlums and made some arrests.
“Regrettably, the protest was hijacked, and all the rules of peaceful protest were ignored, which led to incidents, including malicious damages, looting of property, vandalisation of shops, as well as a military personnel discharging firearms at a protester,” the statement signed by the Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Eno Ikoedem, partly read.
The police also stated that those who engaged in acts of “violence, vandalism, and looting” were identified and arrested, while thorough investigations were ongoing to ensure that all culpable persons were brought to justice.
Those arrested were on Monday, January 12 arraigned before the State High Court by the police. The court granted the order for them to be remanded in Ubiaja prison custody until February 26.
Tears flowed freely as mothers and fathers struggled to give water, drinks, food and money as they were marched into the Black Maria after the sitting enroute Ubiaja.
Most of the suspects were said to have been abducted from their residences by security agencies at night and some early Sunday morning and were moved straight to the state command headquarters of the Nigeria Police.
