The Inspector-General of Police (IGP) has directed the Edo State Commissioner of Police to release “genuine students” arrested during a recent protest in Ekpoma, the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has said.
The force spokesperson, Benjamin Hundeyin, disclosed the directive on Tuesday while speaking on Politics Today, a programme aired by Channels Television.
Hundeyin said the instruction followed internal reviews of the arrests made during the unrest, amid public criticism of the police response.
He acknowledged lingering distrust between the police and sections of the public but insisted relations had improved through sustained engagement and advocacy.
“There’s a lot of distrust, but the level of distrust is not as bad as it used to be because we’ve done a lot in engaging with people,” he said.
He explained that police deployments to Ekpoma were escalated after the situation overwhelmed initial units on the ground.
According to him, the standard procedure of calling for reinforcements was followed, leading to the physical presence of the state police commissioner from Benin City, alongside the area commander and several divisional police officers.
Hundeyin maintained that such responses were consistent with policing practices globally when public order situations risk escalation.
He added that the police leadership intended to deepen cooperation with local communities, urging residents to engage more closely with security agencies to prevent future breakdowns of order.
The arrests in Ekpoma followed protests linked to unrest in parts of Edo State, which the state government has described as coordinated violence rather than a student-led demonstration.
READ ALSO: Edo Govt Dismisses Ekpoma Unrest as ‘Coordinated Riot’ from Abroad, Not Protest
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