Anti-kidnapping Protest: PRP Chieftain, Ndidi Key raises alarms over arrest of AAU students

The former presidential aspirant of the Peoples Redemption Party, PRP, Patience Ndidi Ofure-Key has raised alarm over the alleged raid of hostels and arrest of students of the Ambrose Alli University following the weekend’s violent anti-kidnapping protest in Ekpoma.

DAILY POST reports that Patience Ndidi Ofure-Key, who was also a governorship candidate of the party in Edo State, raised the alarm in a statement made available to newsmen on Monday, January 12, 2026, in Benin City.

Ofure-Key said the allegation, if found to be true, amounts to intimidation rather than genuine public safety measures.

According to her, I am concerned about allegations that security operatives raided student hostels and arrested protesters. Such actions are intimidation rather than genuine public safety measures.

“Democracy cannot restore calm by threatening, frightening citizens as enemies, nor win trust by arresting young people demanding their fundamental right to live safely, she said.

While adding that the allegations should be investigated lawfully, she, however, warned authorities against responding to legitimate safety concerns with harassment, intimidation, or indiscriminate arrests.

She urged the Edo State Government, security agencies, the management of AAU and community leaders to act decisively by releasing the innocent detainees, and protect Ekpoma residents from kidnappers.

She opined that Nigeria cannot build prosperity on fear, stressing that security underpins education, investment, and development, and that Edo must prove it can protect lives.

The female politician, who averred that peaceful protest was not a crime, urged authorities to focus on criminals, not victims, and immediately release students and residents arrested solely for protesting.

The PRP presidential aspirant in the 2023 general election who also joined others to raise the alarm against the worsening insecurity in Ekpoma, stated that the violent protest was triggered by kidnapping threats and rising fear.

Ofure-Key, while insisting that residents and youths, including those linked to Ambrose Alli University, protested repeated abductions, warned that fear has overtaken daily life in the university community.

She emphasised that the protection of lives and welfare remained the primary responsibility of government and security agencies, noting that abandonment inevitably fueled anger, tension, and protest.

“Parents feared sleeping, students feared attending classes, and communities felt deserted, creating a volatile atmosphere that no responsible government should ignore or trivialise.

“Since I condemn violence and lawlessness, I understand citizens’ frustration when peaceful appeals for safety are met with silence and inaction.

“People protested not for confrontation but because they feel abandoned. I want to say that social order weakens when communities feel unprotected, and desperation deepens, she stated.

Ndidi-Key, who was also the governorship candidate in Edo State, insisted that government failure forces communities toward self-help, sometimes dangerously.

She advised that leadership must prioritise security, justice, and accountability over mass arrests.

She therefore demanded an urgent, clear security action plan for Ekpoma with measurable interventions, timelines, and transparency around security allocations and outcomes.

She also questioned the recurring “security votes” amid persistent insecurity, insisting that Edo citizens deserve clear accounting, measurable results, and public reporting on security spending.

“At this junction, I therefore called for immediate patrols, joint campus-community security frameworks, emergency reporting systems, hotspot protection, public briefings, and strict accountability for abuses.

“Government duty is non-negotiable. Edo State government must not suppress citizens’ cries instead of addressing insecurity, I advise that Ekpoma must not become another regretful headline”, she said.

She, however, warned students and residents against allowing criminals to hijack legitimate protests, just as she demanded safety and accountability.