Activities at the University of Benin were at standstill yesterday as lecturers of the institution took to the streets of Benin to protest the abduction of another lecturer. It will be recalled that several lecturers of the institution have been kidnapped in the last few months.

Emmanuel Agbokhai, a lecturer in the department of Agriculture of the institution, was allegedly kidnapped by unknown gunmen on Saturday at the school premises.

The protest, carried out by UNIBEN lecturers, is coming after that carried out by the students of the Western Boys School, Benin City who, on Tuesday, protested the kidnap of their Physics teacher, Stella Akhabue, while returning from church service on Sunday by unknown gunmen.

Kashetu Ilabavre, ASUU chairman of UNIBEN, who led the protesting lecturers, demanded for the unconditional release of the kidnapped lecturer; adding that they would boycott academic activities if the kidnapped lecturer is not released unconditionally by his abductors.

Mr. Ilabavre stated that the abductors of the lecturer are demanding for N25 million, noting that neither the lecturer nor any member of his family would pay the said amount.

The lecturers frowned at the spate of kidnapping in the state, just as they called on the security operatives to be alive to their responsibility in curbing crimes in the state.

Conspiracy with security agents

They also decried what they called the ‘civil manner’ in which the problem of kidnapping is being handled by security operatives in the state, and called for a change of approach.

“We are protesting today because the spate of kidnapping in the state is getting too much and the insensitivity of security agencies in the state to handle the situation,” he said. “One of our colleagues has just being kidnapped, Emmanuel Agbokhai, right in the university campus while going about his research work. He was abducted on Saturday, and they are demanding for N25 million ransom.

“We are here to draw the attention of Nigerians and those who are supposed to protect us who are collecting money from the tax payers, who are collecting money from Nigerians, to do their job. We are saying that we are fed up; we are being picked up like snails and we are not snails, for God sake. Let the security agencies in this state do something about it.

“I am sorry to say that we are beginning to suspect that there is high level conspiracy among these kidnappers and these security agencies. We are very convinced that there is high level conspiracy and we want them to prove that there is none. Let them come out to say there is none and so they should do their job. We are also appealing to our traditional rulers, our royal fathers. We believe that if they make very strong statement about it there would be an end to it. We cannot go any where at the moment. The state government should do something about it. We are not afraid to say that we don’t have money to pay as ransom. We want the unconditional release of our colleague. Until our colleague is released unconditionally, we won’t go to class, ” he said.


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Yes. They just heard senators/House of Rep members are sharing millions of Naira amongst themselves for doing nothing. Hence the ordinary citizens have to fend for themelves via kidnapping. .