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Emmanuel reportedly died in the hands of his abductors months after being taken hostage.
The Edo State Civil Society Coalition for Human Rights has condemned the Edo State government and security agencies over what it described as their “negligence, complacency, and inexcusable inertia” leading to the death of a kidnapped seminarian, Alabi Emmanuel.
Emmanuel reportedly died in the hands of his abductors months after being taken hostage.
According to a statement jointly signed by the coalition’s Coordinator General, Marxist Kola Edokpayi, and Secretary General, Comrade Aghatise Raphael, the young seminarian was one of several students abducted in July 2025 by gunmen who invaded the Immaculate Minor Seminary at Ivhianakpodi, Etsako East Local Government Area of Edo State.
During the attack, an officer of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) was said to have been killed.
“The Edo State Civil Society Coalition for Human Rights is enveloped in grief and righteous indignation over the untimely and tragic demise of a young seminarian, Alabi Emmanuel, who died in the clutches of his abductors after languishing in captivity since July 2025,” the group said.
The statement described Emmanuel’s death as “an unspeakable tragedy” and “a damning indictment of the Edo State government and the security agencies, whose constitutional and moral obligations to safeguard the lives and dignities of citizens have been desecrated.”
The group accused the authorities of ignoring repeated warnings and appeals for swift intervention to rescue the abducted seminarians.
“For months, we issued passionate appeals, published press statements, and urged those in authority to act decisively to rescue these innocent children from the hands of the kidnappers. Yet, our pleas were met with silence and bureaucratic indifference,” the statement read.
The coalition lamented that “the silence has birthed another grave — a grave filled with youthful promises, broken dreams, and a destiny cruelly cut short.”
It further stated that “the blood of Alabi Emmanuel cries out — it will forever stain the conscience of every person and institution that had the power to act but chose indifference when humanity demanded courage.”
Calling the incident “a national disgrace and a moral failure of leadership,” the group demanded accountability and concrete steps to end what it termed “the cycle of impunity, negligence, and moral decay” in the state and across Nigeria.
“The people of Edo deserve more than condolences; they deserve protection, justice, and accountability,” the coalition declared, adding that the tragedy should “awaken the slumbering conscience of those who wield power yet refuse to wield compassion.”
It concluded with a solemn note: “May the soul of Alabi Emmanuel find eternal rest.”
SAHARA REPORTERS
