South African police have arrested controversial anti-Western activist Kemi Seba, who is wanted in Benin for allegedly inciting rebellion following his support for a failed coup attempt late last year.
Seba, whose real name is Stellio Gilles Robert Capo Chichi, was arrested on Monday at a shopping centre in Pretoria alongside his 18-year-old son and another man. Authorities allege the trio were attempting to illegally enter neighbouring Zimbabwe with the intention of travelling onward to Europe.
In a statement on Thursday, police said preliminary investigations indicated that Seba is a wanted fugitive in both Benin and France for offences related to crimes against the state.
The case has been postponed to April 20, with Seba and his son remaining in custody as extradition processes get underway.
Benin issued an international arrest warrant for Seba on December 12, accusing him of “justifying crimes against state security and inciting rebellion.” The warrant followed his public support for a failed coup attempt on December 7, during which mutinous soldiers briefly claimed to have overthrown President Patrice Talon.
The attempted coup was swiftly suppressed by Benin’s military with assistance from Nigeria and France.
Seba, a vocal critic of France and African governments aligned with Paris, had posted a video at the time describing the attempted uprising as “the day of liberation” for Benin.
Born in France to Beninese parents, Seba has previously been convicted multiple times in France for incitement to racial hatred and has faced accusations of anti-Semitism. He was stripped of his French nationality in 2024.
The activist, who leads the NGO Pan-Africanist Emergency, commands a large online following and has been accused by critics of promoting pro-Russian narratives and fuelling anti-French sentiment across Africa. He has also expressed support for military juntas that have seized power in parts of the Sahel region.
South African police further alleged that the man arrested with Seba had been paid approximately R250,000 to assist in facilitating an illegal border crossing via the Limpopo River into Zimbabwe.
Investigations are ongoing.