Court Grants DSS Application to Remand Activist Edokpayi

Linus Aleke in Abuja

An Edo State High Court sitting in Benin has granted the Department of State Services (DSS) application to remand in custody the leader of a Benin-based Marxist group, Talakawa Movement, Kola Edokpayi.

A top intelligence source revealed that the Service arrested Edokpayi and four others on April 30 for planning to stage a rally in support of the leader of Burkina Faso’s military junta, Ibrahim Traore.

To this end, the DSS arraigned him and one of his associates on a one-count charge of unlawful procession, which contravenes Section 63(1)(b) of the Criminal Law of Edo State, 2022.
In his ruling, Justice Anthony Erahabor stated that four days were sufficient for the Service to conclude its investigations, stressing that the DSS had considered granting the defendants administrative bail.

“By the administrative bail, Edokpayi and his associate are required to report to the DSS office on specific days,” the judge explained. The matter was adjourned to 8 May 2025 for further proceedings.

An insider source disclosed that the Talakawa Movement exploited various social media platforms, particularly WhatsApp, to mobilize youths across the state for the rally.

“Investigators discovered that they used a certain bank account (details withheld) to raise huge sums of money in support of the rally,” the source further revealed.