Benin prosecutors announced on Wednesday the arrest of three prominent figures, including a presidential guard commander, in connection with an alleged plot to stage a coup d’état in the West African nation. The arrested individuals include former sports minister Oswald Homeky and businessman Olivier Boko, who is closely associated with President Patrice Talon.
Elonm Mario Metonou, the special prosecutor for financial crimes and terrorism, revealed that the coup was purportedly scheduled to occur on Friday, September 27, 2024. “It appears the commander of the Republican Guard, responsible for the president’s security, was engaged by Minister Homeky and Olivier Boko to execute a coup by force,” Metonou stated.
According to court reports, Homeky was apprehended at approximately 1:00 AM on Tuesday while allegedly delivering six bags of cash, amounting to 1.5 billion West African CFA francs (approximately $2.5 million), to Commander Djimon Dieudonne Tevoedjre. Boko, a longtime ally of President Talon who had recently expressed intentions to run for the presidency in 2026, was arrested separately overnight in Cotonou, the economic capital.
Homeky resigned as sports minister in 2023 after publicly supporting Boko’s presidential ambitions. Boko’s lawyers have condemned his arrest as an “abduction,” calling for his immediate release. “At this moment, neither his family nor we, his lawyers, know his whereabouts or his condition, and we are concerned he may not have access to food or his necessary medications,” the lawyers stated.
Boko’s support group, Objectif Benin 2026, described the arrest as a “serious violation of fundamental rights” and an act of “obvious political persecution.”
Critics argue that Benin has shifted from a thriving multi-party democracy to an increasingly authoritarian regime under Talon, who has been in power since 2016. The political climate has been further strained by a rise in security concerns, particularly following a series of attacks linked to jihadist violence spilling over from the Sahel region. Recently, an online critic of the president, Steve Amoussou, was detained and faces trial on allegations of publishing falsehoods and inciting rebellion, according to judicial sources.
