Benin: Professor Frédéric Joël Aïvo questioned

Joël Aïvo was arrested on Thursday, adding to the list of opponents arrested in recent days in Benin.

The wave of arrests continues in the ranks of opponents to the regime of President Patrice Talon. This Thursday, Professor Frédéric Joël Aïvo, failed candidate of the Front for the Restoration of Democracy, was arrested in the early afternoon in Godomey, not far from the campus of the University of Abomey-Calavi where he had finished a course a few minutes earlier. This arrest in the street, without a summons, is reminiscent of the arrest of Reckya Madougou on 3 March on the bridge of Porto-Novo.

Listened to at the Economic and Financial Brigade (BEF), the constitutionalist is kept and will probably be presented to the special prosecutor at the Court of Repression of Economic Offences and Terrorism (CRIET) on Friday. His arrest comes in the context of investigations into the violence that has agitated some cities in the country, on the eve of the presidential election.

The day before the arrest of Professor Joël Aïvo, President Patrice Talon, on the occasion of a visit to the 21 elements of the security and defence forces injured during the violence in Savè, Bantè and Tchaourou, was very threatening: « I have just shown them the gratitude of the entire nation, but personally, what I saw is appalling, » said the newly re-elected President, before continuing: « We have reached unacceptable proportions, and we will do everything to ensure that this never happens again, » promising that measures will be taken to « identify all those who were instigators, perpetrators in one way or another so that they can be held accountable for their actions.

For years, Joël Aïvo has been one of the most virulent opponents of the regime of Patrice Talon, whom he never misses an opportunity to criticize. « Nobody believes it, not even them.
Everything was wrong from the beginning. The recruitment of candidates, the election campaign and now the simulation of emotions and the explosion of joy.
Our opponents know the truth. They know that we know the same truth. But above all, our opponents know the mood of the Beninese people towards them. That is the most important thing. These prefabricated figures will not change the resounding message of the Beninese people who have remained masters of their destiny, » the constitutionalist wrote on his Facebook page on Wednesday, April 14, 2021, the day after the proclamation of the provisional results of the Sunday’s election, which give the winner in the first round to the President candidate, Patrice Talon.