From Moshood Karim
A wave of protest has erupted in Edo State following the continued detention of two prominent human rights campaigners, Kola Edokpayi and Hadson Orako, by the Department of State Services (DSS).
The activists were apprehended on 30 April by the DSS despite reportedly cancelling a planned protest in support of Burkinabé leader Ibrahim Traoré after meeting with the State’s Commissioner of Police. Since then, calls for their release have intensified, with civil society organisations decrying the ongoing incarceration as unlawful and politically troubling.
The Body of Civil Society Community Edo State, a coalition of rights-based groups, led the protests in Benin City, accusing the DSS of reneging on a promise to release the detained activists last Friday. According to a joint statement by Reverend David Ugolor and Abraham Oviawe, spokesperson and legal adviser respectively, the pair have been denied access to their legal counsel and families, further fuelling rumours that they may have been secretly transferred to Abuja.
“This continued detention is raising serious concerns, particularly as it appears to exceed the legal time frame for holding individuals without charge,” the statement read. The group also called for transparency regarding the activists’ whereabouts and the charges, if any, being levelled against them.
The coalition expressed disappointment in what they described as a breach of trust between the DSS and the civil society community. They urged the agency to respect the constitutional rights of the detainees and immediately allow access to lawyers and relatives.
Echoing these sentiments, Comrade Ogbidi Emmanuel, President of the Network of Civil Society Organisations of Nigeria (NOCSON), criticised the DSS for disrupting the state’s peace. “Edo has remained calm until this. It is not a crime to plan a peaceful protest, nor is it unlawful to change one’s mind,” he said.
Ogbidi defended Edokpayi’s legacy, describing him as a committed advocate for national unity and peace. “He has invested more in Nigeria’s democratic development than many serving in the security agencies today. His intentions have been misunderstood and misrepresented.”
Ogbidi warned that the protest would not abate until Edokpayi and Orako are released. “This is only the beginning. Our campaign will continue to grow until justice is served,” he declared.
