Two Allies Of Benin President Sentenced To 20 Years For Coup Plot

Two close associates of Benin's President Patrice Talon, Olivier Boko and Oswald Homeky, were sentenced to 20 years in prison for attempting to orchestrate a coup against the government. The court found them guilty of conspiracy against state security and corruption of a public official, following their arrest last September. Evidence presented during the trial included Homeky allegedly caught on video delivering bags of money to the head of the presidential guard to facilitate the coup. Boko, described as Talon's right-hand man, was implicated as the mastermind behind the plot and had expressed interest in running for president in 2026. Both men, alongside a third individual sentenced in absentia, were also ordered to pay substantial damages to the state, highlighting the judiciary's firm stance on national security threats. Critics of Talon's administration view this case as part of a broader pattern of using the justice system against political opponents.