Chabi Yayi, son of former Beninese President and opposition leader Thomas Boni Yayi, was reportedly taken into custody early Sunday at his home, according to multiple relatives.
Authorities have not disclosed the reason for his arrest, which comes just a week after a failed coup attempt shook the West African nation.
“At this point, we don’t know the charges against him,” a family member told AFP.
Another close associate, affiliated with the Democrats party—the main opposition led by Chabi Yayi—said there is no confirmation that his detention is connected to the events of last Sunday.
“We are unsure if this arrest is linked to last week’s attempted coup,” the source added.
Following the December 7 coup attempt, Thomas Boni Yayi publicly condemned the uprising in a video address released two days later.
Authorities have arrested several individuals since the failed putsch, including former Defence Minister and prominent opposition figure Candide Azannai, who faces charges of “conspiracy against the authority of the State and incitement to rebellion.”
News Region reports that Benin has also issued an international arrest warrant for pan-African activist Kemi Seba, accusing him of “inciting rebellion” due to his alleged support for the coup attempt.
In a seven-minute video statement on Sunday, Seba, whose real name is Stellio Gilles Robert Capo Chichi, 44, responded defiantly to the warrant, refusing to disclose his location but asserting, “You can never stop us. We will go to the end of our fight.”
Seba heads the NGO Pan‑Africanist Emergency and is known for his anti-Western rhetoric and criticism of France and allied African governments. He was stripped of his French nationality in 2024 and currently travels on a passport issued by Niger’s military regime, a neighboring country to Benin.
Several suspected coup plotters, including the alleged leader Lieutenant Colonel Pascal Tigri, remain at large as security forces continue efforts to apprehend those involved in the failed uprising.
Public opinion is now divided over whether the Benin Republic should grant clemency to the arrested individuals.
