Chabi Yayi, the son of former Beninese president and current opposition figure Thomas Boni Yayi, was arrested early on Sunday at his residence, according to several family members.
No official reason has been given for the arrest, which comes just a week after an abortive coup attempt in Benin. “At the moment, we do not know what he is accused of,” a relative told AFP.
Another close associate, a member of the Democrats Party, the country’s main opposition party led by Boni Yayi said it was unclear whether the arrest was linked to the events of the previous Sunday.
Thomas Boni Yayi had publicly condemned the failed coup in a video address two days after it occurred. Several arrests have been made since the December 7 coup attempt, including alleged plotters and prominent opposition figures.
Among those detained is Candide Azannai, a former defence minister and key opposition leader, who was placed in police custody on charges of conspiracy against the authority of the state and incitement to rebellion.
Beninese authorities have also issued an international arrest warrant for pan-Africanist activist Kemi Seba, who responded defiantly in a video message released on Sunday.
In the seven-minute video, Seba said he had taken precautions since the warrant was issued but did not disclose his current location. “You can never stop us,” he said. “We will go to the end of our fight.”
Authorities issued the warrant on Friday, accusing Seba of inciting rebellion following his public support for the coup attempt, which he described as Benin’s “day of liberation”.
Kemi Seba, whose real name is Stellio Gilles Robert Capo Chichi, is the head of the NGO Pan-Africanist Emergency and is widely known for his anti-Western rhetoric, particularly against France and African governments aligned with Paris.
The 44-year-old influencer, who has 1.5 million followers on social media, was stripped of his French citizenship in 2024. He is an open supporter of the military juntas that came to power through coups in the Sahel region, governments that are hostile to France and maintain close ties with Russia.
Seba now reportedly travels on a passport issued by Niger’s military regime, which shares a border with Benin. Meanwhile, several individuals involved in the failed coup attempt, including its alleged leader, Lieutenant Colonel Pascal Tigri, remain at large.
