Edo-born Afrobeat musician, Ajakaiye Sunday aka Zunday, has condemned the continued detention of 52 students arrested in Edo State.
Zunday, in strong words, also condemned what he considered the deeper injustice that led to the protest in the first place, which is the growing cases of kidnapping, killings, growing insecurity and poor infrastructure in the state.
“The protest did not happen in a vacuum,” he stated, “it was born out of pain, fear and long standing frustration. Edo State has witnessed repeated cases of kidnapping, killings, growing insecurity and poor infrastructure. Roads are unsafe, communities live in fear, and families sleep with anxiety. For too long, the cries of the people have been met with silence.”
The artist said, “When a government fails to act decisively against insecurity, when citizens feel abandoned and unheard, people will eventually come out to express their anger and frustration. That expression is not rebellion. It is desperation.”
He stated further that peaceful protest is a constitutional right and a last resort when dialogue appears ignored. “If the right actions had been taken earlier; if the safety of lives had been prioritised, these young people would not have felt the need to take to the streets. It is therefore deeply troubling that the response to public frustration has been mass arrests. The same power that should be used to protect citizens from kidnappers and killers is now being exercised against students and young people. This raises a serious moral question. Why is it when the people cry out that authority suddenly becomes strong against them?”
Zunday therefore called for the intervention of the governor of Edo State, Monday Okpebholo to listen to the voice of the people, address the root causes of the protest and ensure that innocent students are not punished for government failures.
He also called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene in the matter, while appealing to Senator Adams Oshiomhole to “rise as a son of Edo State and stand with the people at this critical moment.”
