Benin's former defence minister and well-known opposition figure, Candide Azannai, was taken into custody on Friday in Cotonou, the country's commercial hub, according to a police source and one of his associates who spoke to AFP.
For now, it remains uncertain whether his arrest is tied to the army's failed coup attempt on Sunday. Officials have not released any formal list of those being investigated.
Although Azannai publicly condemned the attempted takeover in a Facebook post on Wednesday, he simultaneously criticised efforts to "exploit the criminal events- for the purpose of seizing power through manipulation and intimidation of dissenting voices and critical political opinions".
