Barely two weeks after the anti-kidnapping protest by residents of Ekpoma, Esan West Local Government Area, the arrested immediate past Special Adviser to the Edo State Governor on Youth Mobilisation, Hon. Collins Aigbogun, is yet to be released from police custody.
DAILY POST gathered that the sacked governor’s aide, who was also removed as the elected chairman of the council on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) under the administration of former Governor Godwin Obaseki by Governor Okpebholo, is yet to be charged to court by the police.
Aigbogun was reportedly arrested on January 11, 2026, a day after the protest, while still serving as Special Adviser to the Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo.
The continued detention of the former council chairman without charge has attracted criticism from local society groups and human rights advocates.
Critics alleged that the arrest and continued detention of Collins Aigbogun in police custody followed a directive from the Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo.
They also claimed that the arrest was aimed at probing his involvement in the protest against rising incidents of kidnapping and banditry in Ekpoma.
Speaking, the Talakawa Parliament described the continued detention of the sacked governor’s aide as unjust and unconstitutional.
Talakawa Parliament, a socio-political organization, called for the immediate and unconditional release of Collins Aigbogun, the immediate past aide to the governor.
Marxist Kola Edokpayi, the spiritual leader of the group, at a press conference on Friday, January 23, 2026, in Benin City, accused security agencies of violating Aigbogun’s fundamental human rights as guaranteed under the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria (as amended).
Edokpayi alleged that Aigbogun was being detained in connection with the Ekpoma protest despite the absence of evidence linking him to the planning or sponsorship of the demonstration.
He described the continued detention as “morally reprehensible and legally indefensible,” warning that it raises concerns about the selective application of the law.
He noted that Governor Okpebholo had earlier claimed that the protest was sponsored by an unnamed Nigerian allegedly based in Russia, as well as other Edo indigenes in the diaspora, arguing that such claims do not correspond with Aigbogun’s situation.
The group, however, appealed to the governor to intervene in the matter in the interest of justice, urging security agencies to focus on addressing criminal activities.
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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