The Youth Arise Movement, a prominent civil society organization, has condemned the arrest of 48 students in Bauchi who peacefully protested on Tuesday, calling for enhanced security amid repeated armed robbery attacks in their academic environment.
Reports indicated that the students took to the streets to voice concerns over rising violent crimes around their campus.
Their demonstration, described as orderly and nonviolent, sought to draw urgent attention from authorities to the escalating security threats affecting both their safety and education.
Instead of engaging with the students’ demands, security personnel reportedly used teargas to disperse the crowd and detained 48 participants.
In a statement released on Wednesday, YAM’s National Coordinator, Comrade Babatunde Ademola, criticized the response, asserting that the students’ constitutional right to protest was violated.
“Their demonstration was peaceful and lawful. Using force to arrest them is excessive and an abuse of authority that undermines democratic principles,” Ademola said.
He emphasized that expressing concerns about safety is not a crime and called for the immediate release of the detained students.
“This crackdown on students exercising their rights is unacceptable. Authorities must protect citizens, not penalize them for seeking justice and safety,” Ademola added.
YAM further demanded an independent inquiry into the security lapses that triggered the protest and urged other civil society groups, academic institutions, and human rights organizations to stand in solidarity with the students and their families.