Former Benin defence minister and leading opposition figure, Candide Azannai, has been remanded in pre-trial detention in connection with investigations into the failed coup attempt that rocked the country earlier this month.
Azannai was placed in custody on Saturday following his arraignment before Beninās anti-terrorism court.
According to reports, prosecutors accused him of conspiring against the state and inciting rebellion.
He was arrested last week at the headquarters of his political party in Cotonou, days after the aborted takeover.
His detention comes despite his public condemnation of the coup and marks the latest development in the sweeping crackdown that followed the foiled plot.
On Tuesday, about 30 suspects, mostly members of the armed forces, were jailed on charges of treason over their alleged roles in the uprising.
On December 7, mutinous soldiers appeared on national television to announce they had overthrown President Patrice Talon.
The declaration was short-lived, as loyalist troops, supported by the Nigerian Air Force, quickly regained control and crushed the attempt.
The violence surrounding the failed coup reportedly claimed several lives, while some key suspects, including alleged ringleader Lieutenant-Colonel Pascal Tigri, are still at large.
After hours of interrogation, Azannai was escorted by police from the court premises in the early hours of Saturday before being transferred into detention.
President Talon, who is expected to leave office in April after completing the constitutionally mandated two terms, has earned international praise for economic reforms.
However, critics have increasingly accused his administration of authoritarian tendencies in a country once regarded as a democratic model in West Africa.
In recent years, Benin has also faced rising jihadist threats in its northern regions.
Benin detains ex-Defence Minister over alleged role in failed coup
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