The Commander of the Presidential Guard in Benin Republic, along with a former Sports Minister and a prominent businessman, has been arrested for allegedly plotting a coup against President Patrice Talon. The coup was planned for September 27, 2024, according to the country’s prosecutor for financial crimes and terrorism, Elonm Mario Metonou.
Prosecutors disclosed that the plot involved the Presidential Guard Commander Djimon Dieudonne Tevoedjre, former Sports Minister Oswald Homeky, and businessman Olivier Boko, a close ally of President Talon. The court stated that Homeky was detained while handing over six bags of cash totaling 1.5 billion CFA francs ($2.5 million) to the guard commander to facilitate the coup.
Boko, who had shown interest in running for the presidency in 2026 when Talon’s term ends, was arrested separately. His supporters have condemned the arrests, calling them politically motivated.
