Nigeria's secret police clamps down on rally for Burkina Faso's Traoré, arrests organizer
Nigeria's Department of State Services (DSS) has arrested a Marxist activist and leader of the Talakawa Parliament, Comrade Kola Edokpayi over his involvement in organizing a rally in support of Burkina Faso's junta leader, Captain Ibrahim Traoré.
Marxist activist and leader of the Talakawa Parliament, Comrade Kola Edokpayi, arrested by Nigeria's DSS
Arrest stems from organizing a rally in support of Burkina Faso junta leader, Captain Ibrahim Traoré
Rally intended as Pan-African solidarity demonstration, sparking controversy and concerns
The planned rally, in support of the Burkina Faso junta leader, Captain Traoré which was intended as a Pan-African solidarity demonstration, has sparked controversy and raised concerns among authorities about its potential to incite unrest.
In an interview with SaharaReporters, a source close to Edokpayi shared the details of his arrest.
" He had organized the solidarity rally, but a day before the event, the Commissioner of Police contacted him for a meeting and urged him to cancel the protest. Edokpayi agreed and directed his team to call off the rally.
However, DSS and police officers later raided his office, forcibly entered, and arrested six people. While four were released, Edokpayi and one other individual were detained."
The rally, according to its organizers, was part of a broader Pan-African effort to support Captain Traoré's resistance against French neo-colonialism in West Africa.
Support for Traoré sweeps across Africa
Recent acts of aggression targeting Sahel nations have triggered a wave of solidarity across the African continent, with thousands rallying in support of Burkina Faso and its revolutionary leader, Captain Ibrahim Traoré.
United under the banner 'Hands Off the AES!'—a reference to the Alliance of Sahel States—protesters took to the streets in Burkina Faso, Ghana, and Liberia.
Organized by grassroots movements and Pan-Africanist groups, the demonstrations denounced foreign interference and condemned ongoing imperialist efforts to destabilize the region.
This outpouring of support comes in the wake of a foiled coup attempt in Burkina Faso, which authorities say was orchestrated on April 21. The government described the plot as a deliberate attempt to plunge the country into chaos and derail its revolutionary trajectory under Traoré's leadership.
Adding fuel to the tension, U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) issued a controversial statement last month.
During a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing, AFRICOM Commander General Michael Langley accused Captain Traoré of diverting Burkina Faso's gold reserves to sustain his military government, rather than using the wealth to benefit the people.
Langley's remarks have drawn widespread backlash from Pan-African activists and supporters of Burkinabè sovereignty, who view the statement as emblematic of a broader pattern of Western intrusion into African political and economic affairs.
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