Benin: release of Chabi Yayi, son of former president Boni Yayi

The news came on the evening of Monday, December 15, 2025. After more than twenty-four hours in the hands of the security forces, Chabi Yayi regained his freedom. The announcement of his release was made by Guy Mitokpè, communications officer for the party Les Démocrates.

Arrested at around 2 a.m. on Sunday, December 14, at his home in Cotonou, Chabi Yayi was taken to the Judicial Police Directorate, according to several sources. His arrest was quickly confirmed by his party, although the reasons for the police action were not officially communicated.

According to information gathered from sources close to the case, the security forces reportedly went to the politician’s home before carrying out his arrest, with no incidents or resistance reported. Until his release, no judicial or security authority had spoken publicly to clarify the exact reasons for this detention.

An arrest against the backdrop of a tense political climate

This arrest came in a particularly sensitive political context, marked by the announcement, a few days earlier, of the dismantling of an alleged attempted coup in Benin, which took place on Sunday, December 7, 2025.

Since then, several investigations have been opened to identify the perpetrators, accomplices and possible supporters of this destabilization plot.

Although no official link has been established between the security case and the arrest of Chabi Yayi, the proximity of the events has fueled many questions and speculation.