The Department of State Services (DSS) has arrested Comrade Kola Edokpayi, leader of Talakawa Parliament, in Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria. Edokpayi was planning a Pan-African solidarity rally in support of Burkina Faso's fight against foreign interference and its leader, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, who has gained widespread support for his anti-colonial stance.
Despite being asked by the Commissioner of Police to cancel the rally and dispatching messages to halt the protest, DSS and police operatives stormed Edokpayi's office, detaining about six individuals. Four were later released, but Edokpayi and another member remain in custody.
The Take It Back Movement (TIB) condemned the arrest, describing it as a blatant violation of constitutional rights and an attack on Nigerian citizens' freedom of expression.
Captain Traoré assumed power in Burkina Faso following a coup in September 2022 and has since led efforts to eliminate foreign influence in the region. Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger formed the Confederation of Sahel States (CSS), distancing themselves from ECOWAS and seeking new partnerships.
Human rights organizations have denounced the suppression of free expression in Nigeria, highlighting broader implications for civil liberties in the region. The arrest has sparked concerns about the government's stance on activism and freedom of speech.
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