Police Arrests Nigerian Activists Over Planned Rally For Burkina Faso’s Revolutionary Leader, Ibrahim Traoré

The arrest of Comrade Kola Edokpayi, a prominent Marxist activist and leader of the Talakawa Parliament, has triggered a wave of condemnation across Africa. Edokpayi was taken into custody on Saturday, May 3, 2025, in Benin City, Edo State, by Nigeria’s Department of State Services (DSS), reportedly over a planned Pan-African solidarity rally in support of Burkina Faso’s leader, Captain Ibrahim Traoré.

Rights groups, civil society organizations, and pan-Africanist movements have described the arrest as a “blatant act of political repression” and a clear violation of constitutional rights. The rally, intended to show solidarity with Traoré’s anti-colonial stance and challenge to French influence in West Africa, had already been called off following police intervention.

“He complied,” a source close to Edokpayi told SaharaReporters. “He called off the rally after a meeting with the Commissioner of Police. Yet, DSS operatives stormed his office, broke in, arrested six people, and detained him and one other. Four others were later released.”

The planned event was part of a wider continental mobilisation effort, with similar rallies reportedly scheduled in Ghana, South Africa, and other African countries. Supporters of the movement argue that their message is rooted in African unity, sovereignty, and resistance to neocolonial domination—not sedition or incitement.

Reacting to the arrest, the Edo State chapter of the Take It Back Movement (TIB) issued a sharp rebuke, calling the detention “legally indefensible and morally reprehensible.”

“Comrade Edokpayi was arrested for expressing solidarity with the people of Burkina Faso. His show of support for Captain Ibrahim Traoré is protected by the Nigerian Constitution,” said Comrade Hafiz Lawal, TIB’s Edo State Coordinator.

The group cited Sections 38, 39, and 40 of Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution, which guarantee freedom of thought, expression, and association. “This is not just an attack on one activist—it’s an attack on all Nigerians who believe in the right to dissent,” Lawal added.

Online, the backlash has been swift and passionate. A Pan-African commentator wrote: “Kola has done nothing wrong for standing up for Africa. Arresting him sends the message that Pan-Africanism is a threat, rather than a vision. It’s the same mistake made with Gaddafi, another African leader betrayed for challenging foreign control.”

The Talakawa Parliament, which Edokpayi leads, is known for mobilising grassroots communities and challenging elite exploitation in Nigeria. His arrest is seen as part of a growing pattern of state crackdowns on activist movements and leftist organisations.

As calls for his release grow louder, the case has become a flashpoint in broader debates about African sovereignty, civil liberties, and the right to protest. For many, Edokpayi’s arrest is not just a legal matter—it’s a test of how far governments will go to silence Pan-African voices at a time when unity and resistance are more crucial than ever.