By Ehi Ekhator
Edo State human rights activist, the President of Talakawas Parliament, Mr. Kola Edokpayi has been remanded in Oko prison.
Edokpayi was arrested Tuesday morning as ordered by the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Haliru Gwandu.
He was immediately arraigned on charges of treason, and the case was adjourned till 29th of June.
Edokpayi was earlier declared wanted by the police for publicly criticizing the commissioner of Police on ITV morning program in Benin.
The accused had on Monday, called other human rights activists to protest and call for the commissioner’s redeployment and the next morning, his house was surrounded by men in uniform.
The Command’s Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Moses Nkombe, who confirmed the arrest to NAIJA CENTER NEWS denied that his arrest was related to his activism on the commissioner.
Nkombe said Edokpayi was earlier declared wanted but the police decided to play it cool so that he could come out and be arrested covertly.
The order to arrest the activist was few months ago, after the office of governor Godwin Obaseki lured the leader of the Benin Solidarity Movement, Mr. Curtis Ugbo to his office where the police commissioner and his boys were waiting for him.
The youths had protested demanding the employment of youths in the state, and also urged the state governor to defend the territory of Gele-gele seaport from the Ijaws as it belonged to the Benin.
The Police had alleged that the group did not take permission before proceeding to its protest, adding that such move could have caused public unrest, a statement that was contrary to a signed permit from the police station made available to NAIJA CENTER NEWS.
The Police PRO said: “Edokpayi was charged along side with Curtis Ugbo. He was charged on sedition publication. They published that they have militant group that if the governor did not intervene in the matter involving Edo and some other community (Ijaw), they will apply their military wing.
“About four of them were declared wanted but we decided to play it down to enable us arrest them covertly.”
On whether Edokpayi was arrested in relation to his activism and openly criticizing the commissioner of police, the PRO said ” No, I am telling the truth. We don’t just take somebody to court when there is no previous charges. We said Andrew Young and others at large and those others at large names must be mentioned. The moment he was arrested, they just resurface the previous charges”.
Effort to reach the Commissioner of Police, CP Haliru Gwandu was negative as his phone was switched off.
Barr. Pascal Ogbome who represented the accused said his client was charged for Treason, adding that the Magistrate has no jurisdiction to entertain the case.
He said “I led Barr Nosa Adams , Dan Ogbegie , Abraham Oviawe and Six other Lawyers to appear for Marxist Kola. He was indeed charged for Treason. Magistrate has no Jurisdiction. The matter has been adjourned to 29th of June. We have commenced steps to procure necessary documentations to enable us apply for his Bail at the High Court. He is regrettably remanded at Oko Prison for now.”
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