Benin Begins Trial of Dozens Over Failed Coup as Security Clampdown Widens
Benin’s authorities have intensified a nationwide security and judicial response following an attempted coup earlier this month, placing about 30 suspects, most of them soldiers, into pre-trial detention on Tuesday, according to legal sources.
The suspects were arraigned on Monday before a special prosecutor at the Court for Economic Crimes and Terrorism in Cotonou.
After their hearing, they were remanded in custody and are to face prosecution on charges including treason, murder and actions deemed to have endangered state security.
The detentions follow a failed bid to overthrow President Patrice Talon on December 7, when mutinous soldiers appeared on national television claiming the president had been removed from office.
Loyalist forces swiftly regained control, aided by the Nigerian Air Force and French special forces. The confrontation reportedly left several people dead.
Security around the Cotonou court was visibly heightened on Tuesday, with a strong deployment of armed personnel, an AFP journalist observed.
Meanwhile, key figures linked to the alleged plot remain at large. Authorities say the suspected leader of the mutiny, Lieutenant-Colonel Pascal Tigri, escaped and is still being sought, along with other soldiers accused of participating in the coup attempt.
The investigations have also widened beyond the military. Chabi Yayi, son of former president and opposition leader Thomas Boni Yayi, was released on Monday after questioning but remains under investigation for reasons that have not been publicly disclosed.
Judicial sources said he has been granted freedom of movement but is expected to report again to the police on Thursday. He is a member of the opposition party led by his father.
In a separate but related development, the Cotonou Court of Appeal on Monday upheld a two-year prison sentence against online activist Steve Amoussou, who was convicted over a social media account sharply critical of the government.
Political tensions deepened further last week with the arrest of former defence minister and prominent opposition figure Candide Azannai. While he has publicly condemned the coup attempt, authorities have not clarified whether his arrest is directly connected to the failed putsch.
Also on Friday, Beninese authorities issued an international arrest warrant for Pan-Africanist influencer Kemi Seba, accusing him of supporting the attempted overthrow of the government.
As investigations continue and suspects are pursued at home and abroad, analysts say the unfolding legal actions underscore the government’s determination to assert control after one of the most serious security challenges faced by Benin in recent years.
