Chabi Yayi, the son of former Beninese President and current opposition leader Thomas Boni Yayi, was arrested at his home early Sunday morning, a week after a failed coup attempt shook the West African nation.
The arrest was confirmed by sources, although the exact reasons for his detention were not officially stated at the time. A member of the Democrats Party, the main opposition party led by Yayi, told local media, **“We don’t know if it is linked to the events of last Sunday.”**
Widespread Arrests Following the Attempted Putsch
The arrest is part of a broader wave of detentions by authorities in response to the December 7 coup attempt. Among those already in custody are:
* Alleged participants in the plot.
* Candide Azannai, a key opposition figure, who was placed in police custody for "conspiracy against the authority of the State and incitement to rebellion."
* The country's former Minister of Defence.
Additionally, Benin has issued an international arrest warrant for pan-Africanist and anti-Western influencer Kemi Seba, who responded defiantly in a video statement.
Political Context and Regional Involvement
The political climate in Benin has been tense. The former president, Thomas Boni Yayi, publicly condemned the attempted coup in a video address two days after it occurred.
The situation has also drawn in regional powers. Nigeria, under President Bola Tinubu, played a direct role in helping to foil the coup by conducting airstrikes on the plotters. This military intervention has been a subject of both domestic and international debate.
The arrest of the former president's son signals that the government's investigation into the coup is intensifying and reaching high-profile figures within the political opposition.
*Source: Daily Post Nigeria*
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