Benin’s Special Prosecutor Mario Metonou has announced the initiation of extradition proceedings against Kemi Seba, as the activist appeared before a South African court on Monday in a separate case.
Mario Metonou, Special Prosecutor at the Court for the Repression of Economic Crimes and Terrorism (CRIET), said the initiation has began of extradition proceedings against Séba over money laundering and other alleged crimes.
In a statement to the press, the Beninese magistrate indicated that the activist, arrested on April 13, 2026, in Pretoria, is the subject of two arrest warrants issued by the CRIET, one for money laundering (June 2025), and the other for glorifying crime, inciting hatred and violence (December 2025).
According to Metonou, a request for provisional arrest has been submitted to the South African judicial authorities to secure his detention pending a formal extradition request to Benin, which is currently being prepared.
On the same day, Kémi Séba appeared before the Pretoria Regional Court in proceedings initiated by the South African authorities.
Arrested with his son and a South African national, he and four other individuals are being prosecuted in a case related to checks on their immigration status.
South African police authorities indicated that several mobile phones and approximately 318,000 rand in cash were seized during the operation.
The Beninese suspects remain in pretrial detention while the checks are carried out.
The case has been adjourned until April 29, 2026, for a hearing on a bail application.
Furthermore, the Nigerien authorities, through Foreign Minister Bakary Yaou Sangaré, indicated that the individual in question holds a Nigerien diplomatic passport.
The Beninese special prosecutor clarified that the extradition proceedings are taking place within a legal framework governed by international conventions, adding that further updates on the case
will be provided at a later date.
AC/fss/as/APA