Benin: police officer behind an inflammatory video taken into custody

His arrest came less than twenty-four hours after the release of a recording in which he directly attacked the head of state and demanded his resignation.

The clip, widely shared on social media, shows the police officer speaking with his face uncovered and adopting an openly insurrectionary tone. In it he declares: “I, Captain Kindjanhoundé, give him 24 hours to tender his resignation. Him and his whole clique, government included.”

These remarks, described as very serious by the authorities, immediately drew the attention of the relevant services.

This public outburst comes in an already sensitive context, the day after the failed coup attempt of December 7. The authorities see it as a direct incitement to subversion, at a time when the country is striving to regain an atmosphere of calm.

According to initial reports, Commissioner Kindjanhoundé was taken into custody on the morning of December 9. He is expected to be brought before the Court for the Repression of Economic Offenses and Terrorism (CRIET), where he will have to answer for his actions in accordance with the provisions in force.

The case continues to provoke strong reactions, both among the public and within security circles, as calls for a return to calm and for greater institutional vigilance multiply.