The Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has refuted claims that the police arrested innocent Nigerians and peaceful protesters during the recent unrest in Ekpoma, Edo State, describing such claims as a “false narrative.”
Egbetokun stated this during an interview aired on Channels Television on Saturday, amid widespread criticism over the arrest and detention of dozens of persons following a protest in the university town.
Speaking on whether he was aware of allegations that the police arrested peaceful protesters in Ekpoma, the IG said the police were often unfairly accused after violent incidents that occurred under the guise of protests.
“That’s the usual false narrative against the police.
“When people have committed criminal offenses during protests, we are used to narratives that the police arrested peaceful protesters,” Egbetokun said.
He further stated that even in instances where police formations were attacked, officers killed, and weapons stolen, the public still accused the police of targeting innocent demonstrators.
“Even those who burnt down police stations, murdered policemen, and stole our arms during protests, Nigerians will accuse us of arresting people who are on peaceful protest,” he said.
Speaking on the Ekpoma incident specifically, Egbetokun maintained that the police had no issue with lawful demonstrations and would not arrest anyone for participating in a peaceful protest.
“In the case of Ekpoma, of course, the police will not go after anybody who participated in a peaceful protest. We are not against peaceful protest.
“We have made this clear many times, and we continue to say it: the police will not stop anybody who comes out for peaceful protest. If you want to come out for peaceful protest, what’s our business? We will protect you,” he said.
The police chief emphasized that violence, looting, and destruction of property, not peaceful protest, were the concern of the police.
“Peaceful protest is not a challenge to the police. It is those people who want to perpetrate crime, carry out violence, destroy property, and loot shops during protests. Those are the ones we have problems with,” he said.
Egbetokun revealed that 52 persons were arrested in Ekpoma, insisting they were not peaceful protesters but individuals allegedly involved in criminal activities.
“In Ekpoma, yes, 52 of them were arrested during the protest, and those 52, from the report coming to me, are those people who were involved in the looting of shops and the vandalizing of the palace of the Enogie of Ekpoma.
“That was the report I have, not the arrest and detention of peaceful protesters. No. That’s the usual wrong narrative that we are used to in Nigeria. So I debunk that,” he said.
His remarks come against the backdrop of public outrage following reports that students of Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Edo State, were among 52 persons remanded at the Ubiaja Correctional Centre for offenses including malicious damage and armed robbery.
Chronicle NG had reported that the arrests followed a protest aimed at highlighting insecurity in Ekpoma, which later turned violent after suspected hoodlums hijacked the demonstration, attacked traders, and blocked roads by burning tires.
Several activists and politicians, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan of Kogi Central, criticized the arrests, calling them an attempt to repress democratic expression.
However, the Edo State Government denied that the disruption was a student protest, claiming it was a “coordinated riot aimed at destabilizing the state.”
The state government announced the release of 38 Ambrose Alli University students arrested during the protests last Wednesday. Paddy Iyamu, the Commissioner for Education, stated that some of the pupils were released on Tuesday, while others would be released later on Wednesday.
The Edo State Police Command previously stated that individuals who looted and vandalized property during the protest in Ekpoma, Esan West Local Government Area, were detained as a result of the breakdown in law and order.
Residents reportedly barricaded the route following the death of a youth, citing increased insecurity and kidnapping occurrences in the area.
Online videos showed youngsters storming a livestock market in Ekpoma, forcing traders away, butchering goats, and allowing cattle to graze freely on key roadways, adding to public worry about the protest’s brutality.
