The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, has dismissed claims that police officers arrested peaceful protesters during the recent demonstration in Ekpoma, Edo State, insisting that those taken into custody were involved in criminal activities.
Egbetokun said the 52 suspects arrested during the protest were not peaceful demonstrators but individuals who allegedly engaged in looting, vandalism, and other violent acts. The arrests followed a protest against kidnapping in Ekpoma, Esan West Local Government Area, which later turned violent.
The incident sparked outrage among parents and guardians of the suspects—many of whom are students of Ambrose Alli University (AAU)—especially after a state High Court in Benin City ordered their remand at the Ubiaja Correctional Centre.
Speaking on Crime Buster with Desmond, episode six, aired over the weekend, the IGP said the police are often unfairly blamed for enforcing the law during protests.
“That’s the usual false narrative against the police. When people commit criminal offences during protests, the story is always that the police arrested peaceful protesters,” Egbetokun said.
He recalled that even during past protests where police stations were burnt, officers killed, and arms stolen, the police were still accused of clamping down on peaceful demonstrators.
The IGP reiterated that the Nigeria Police Force has no issue with lawful protests and remains committed to protecting citizens who choose to demonstrate peacefully.
“In the case of Ekpoma, the police will not go after anybody who participated in a peaceful protest. We are not against peaceful protest. If you want to protest peacefully, what is our business? We will protect you,” he said.
However, Egbetokun stressed that the police would not tolerate criminality disguised as protest.
“Peaceful protest is not a challenge to the police. The problem is with those who use protests to perpetrate crime, carry out violence, destroy property, and loot shops,” he added.
According to him, reports submitted to his office indicated that the 52 suspects were allegedly involved in the looting of shops and the vandalisation of the palace of the Enogie of Ekpoma.
Following their arraignment, a Federal High Court in Edo State ordered that the suspects be remanded at the Ubiaja Correctional Centre over allegations of malicious damage and armed robbery. The court adjourned the case to February 26 for hearing.
