Ex-Benin Republic President’s Son Arrested

Chabi Yayi, son of former Beninese president and current opposition figure Thomas Boni Yayi, was arrested early Sunday at his home, according to several of his relatives.

No reason was given for the arrest, which comes a week after the foiled coup attempt there.

“At this time, we don’t know what he is accused of,” one relative told AFP.

“We don’t know if it is linked to the events of last Sunday,” said another close friend, a member of the Democrats party, the main opposition party, which Yahi heads.

Thomas Boni Yayi condemned the abortive coup in a video address two days later.

Several arrests have taken place since the December 7 putsch attempt.

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They include alleged participants, the former minister of defence and key opposition figure, Candide Azannai.

Azannai was placed in police custody for “conspiracy against the authority of the State and incitement to rebellion”.

Benin has also issued an international arrest warrant against pan-Africanist and anti-Western influencer Kemi Seba, who on Sunday issued a defiant response on video.

In a seven-minute-long statement, Seba said he had taken precautions since the issuing of the warrant against him, though he did not say in which country he was.

“You can never stop us,” he added. “We will go to the end of our fight.”

Benin issued the warrant on Friday for “inciting rebellion” over his support for the coup bid, which he described as the country’s “day of liberation”.

Seba, whose real name is Stellio Gilles Robert Capo Chichi, 44, heads the NGO Pan-Africanist Emergency and is known for his hostile stance towards France and African governments allied with Paris.

He has 1.5 million followers on social media. Born Franco-Beninese, Seba was stripped of his French nationality in 2024. He supports the military juntas that came to power through coups in the Sahel region — hostile to Paris and close to Russia.

He now travels on a passport issued by the military regime in Niger, which neighbours Benin.

Several of those who staged the failed coup, including their leader, Lieutenant Colonel Pascal Tigri, remain at large.

AFP