According to Benin Republic authorities, a planned coup attempt that was scheduled for this Friday has been effectively thwarted.
On Wednesday, prosecutors disclosed that the purported scheme, which involved high-ranking authorities, was discovered just a few days before the planned event.
Elonm Metonou, a special prosecutor at Benin’s court for financial crimes and terrorism, revealed that Oswald Homeky, a former sports minister, was taken into custody on Tuesday evening.
According to reports, Homeky was seen giving Djimon Tevoedjre, the commander of the republican guard, who is in charge of President Patrice Talon’s security, six bags full of cash.
Metonou said, “It looks the minister Oswald Homeky and Olivier Boko engaged the Republican Guard commander in charge of the president’s security to carry out a coup by force on September 27, 2024.”
The prosecutor stated that the confiscated bags held roughly $2.5 million, or 1.5 billion West African CFA francs.
Investigations showed that on August 6, Tevoedjre’s name was put on a bank account registered in Côte d’Ivoire. According to reports, Homeky drove a Toyota Prado with fictitious license plates to deliver the money.
President Talon’s close ally and businessman Olivier Boko was also named in the scheme. In Benin’s commercial center of Cotonou, he was taken into custody earlier this week.
It is said that Boko and Homeky worked together to buy off the military commander to guarantee that there would be no opposition during the coup. Boko has made it plain that he wants to be president before the 2026 election.
Authorities are still conducting investigations to find additional plan participants.
Several West African countries have seen successful military takeover attempts or coups since 2020.
Since taking office in 2016, President Talon of Benin has been under intense criticism. His detractors charge him with systematically weakening democratic institutions and strengthening his hold on power.
