Benin prosecutors announced on Wednesday the arrest of three high-profile individuals, including the commander of the presidential guard, on suspicion of plotting a coup d’état in the small West African nation.

The other two suspects are a former sports minister and a businessman closely associated with President Patrice Talon.

Elonm Mario Metonou, the special prosecutor for financial crimes and terrorism in Benin, revealed that the alleged coup was scheduled for Friday. He stated, “It appears the Republican Guard commander responsible for the president’s security was engaged by Minister Oswald Homeky and Olivier Boko to carry out a coup by force on September 27, 2024.”

According to the court, Homeky was detained around 1:00 AM on Tuesday while handing over six bags of cash totaling 1.5 billion West African CFA francs (approximately $2.5 million) to the commander, Djimon Dieudonne Tevoedjre. Boko, a longtime associate of President Talon, was arrested separately during the night in Cotonou, Benin’s economic capital.

Boko had recently hinted at a presidential bid in 2026, after Talon’s second term concludes, as he is constitutionally barred from running again. Homeky resigned as sports minister in 2023 after expressing support for Boko’s candidacy.

Boko’s lawyers and supporters have condemned his arrest as an “abduction” and are demanding his immediate release. “As this press conference is being held, neither his family nor we, his lawyers, know where Mr. Boko is or in what condition he is being held,” they stated, expressing concern for his access to food and medication.

Boko’s support group, Objectif Benin 2026, denounced the arrest as “a serious violation of fundamental rights” and an act of “obvious political persecution.”

Once regarded as a thriving multi-party democracy, Benin has seen a shift toward authoritarianism since Talon took office in 2016, according to critics. In August, an online critic of the president, Steve Amoussou, was detained and is facing trial later this year on charges of publishing falsehoods and “inciting rebellion,” according to judicial sources.

Benin’s security forces are on high alert following a series of attacks linked to jihadist violence spilling over from the Sahel region, which has affected neighboring Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, all of which have experienced military coups in recent years.