DSS detains Edokpayi over support for Burkina Faso leader Traoré

Operatives of the Department of State Services, DSS, have detained activist and leader of the Talakawa Parliament, Kola Edokpayi, in Benin City, Edo State.

Reports indicate that he was taken into custody on Saturday in connection with a proposed Pan-African solidarity rally in support of Burkina Faso’s revolutionary leader, Captain Ibrahim Traoré.

In a statement made available to journalists, the Edo State coordinator of the Take It Back movement, Comrade Hafiz Lawal, condemned the arrest as “legally indefensible and morally reprehensible,” accusing Nigerian security agencies of weaponising state power against dissenting voices.

Lawal called for Edokpayi’s immediate and unconditional release.

“Comrade Edokpayi was arrested for expressing solidarity with the government of Burkina Faso led by Captain Ibrahim Traoré. This blatant act of political repression is not only unlawful but also constitutes a direct assault on the constitutional rights of Nigerian citizens.

“He has consistently mobilised the masses through the Talakawa Parliament, a grassroots movement dedicated to defending the rights of ordinary Nigerians against elite exploitation.