Operatives of Nigeria’s Department of State Services (DSS) have detained Comrade Kola Edokpayi, a Marxist activist and leader of the Talakawa Parliament, in Benin City, Edo State. His arrest is tied to a planned Pan-African solidarity rally in support of Burkina Faso’s revolutionary leader, Captain Ibrahim Traoré.
The incident, which occurred on Saturday, May 3, 2025, has triggered condemnation from civil society groups, rights advocates, and Pan-African movements across Africa. They have described the action as a blatant crackdown on free expression and a violation of democratic rights.
A source close to Edokpayi told SaharaReporters what led to his arrest.
“He made arrangements for a solidarity rally. The Commissioner of Police called him a day before the rally and held a meeting with him to call it off. He complied and dispatched people to cancel the protest. But DSS and police operatives later stormed his office, broke in, and arrested about six people. Four were released, but they detained him and one other member.”
The proposed event was part of a larger Pan-African movement showing solidarity with Captain Traoré’s resistance to continued French neocolonial dominance in West Africa. Similar demonstrations were reportedly set to take place in countries like Ghana and South Africa.
In response to the development, the Edo State branch of the Take It Back Movement (TIB) issued a firm statement demanding the unconditional release of Comrade Edokpayi.
“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 a direct attack on the constitutional rights of Nigerian citizens,” the statement read.
The group highlighted Edokpayi’s grassroots efforts under the Talakawa Parliament, describing the platform as one that defends the rights of ordinary Nigerians against systemic exploitation.
Signed by Comrade Hafiz Lawal, the Edo State Coordinator of TIB, the group further condemned the arrest as “legally indefensible and morally reprehensible,” accusing Nigerian authorities of using state power to silence critical voices.
“Freedom of thought, expression, and association are guaranteed under Sections 38, 39, and 40 of the 1999 Constitution. His show of support for Captain Ibrahim Traoré does not in any way justify his arrest,” the group insisted.
Adding to the public outrage, a Pan-African activist issued a passionate message online:
“Arresting Marxist Kola Edokpayi for a proposed solidarity walk in support of Ibrahim Traoré is totally uncalled for. Pan-Africanism shouldn’t be killed; it’s supposed to be encouraged by all African countries and leaders. I remember Gaddafi, a true Pan-Africanist, who was betrayed by fellow Africans used by Western powers. Kola has done nothing wrong for standing for Africa. He must be released.”
The arrest remains a rallying point for pro-democracy and Pan-African movements who see it as part of a broader clampdown on dissent in Nigeria.
