The Edo State Government on Tuesday rejected reports characterizing the recent unrest in Ekpoma, within the Esan West Local Government Area, as a protest.
Officials stated that the incident was a coordinated riot aimed at destabilizing the state.
In a statement released by Patrick Ebojele, the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Monday Okpebholo, the government asserted that the violence was a “well-organised riot sponsored by a Nigerian resident in Russia and other locations overseas.”
The statement revealed that security agencies have identified the suspected orchestrators, who allegedly reached out to individuals in Ekpoma and strategically coordinated riots not just in Ekpoma but also in Auchi, Irrua, and the Government House in Benin City, using funds traced back to sources abroad.
The government dismissed claims that those apprehended in relation to the violence were students of Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, or that arrests occurred within student hostels.
It emphasized that the university is currently closed, with students having vacated the hostels well before the unrest.
The statement highlighted: “The government firmly refuted claims that those arrested and facing prosecution in connection with the violence were students of Ambrose Alli University (AAU), Ekpoma, or that their arrests were made inside student hostels.”
Those taken into custody, the statement noted, were intercepted while allegedly en route to vandalize property on campus, while others were identified through viral videos documenting acts of arson and destruction.
The state government confirmed that most arrests were made based on solid evidence, including video recordings that linked the suspects to the violence.
“The suspects arrested are rioters, not peaceful protesters,” the statement clarified.
It further asserted that the incident had no relation to Ambrose Alli University students or the National Association of Nigerian Students.
On January 9, a young man was kidnapped and subsequently killed in Ekpoma, Esan West Local Government Area of the state.
This incident has instigated fear and outrage among residents, particularly among students of Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma.
