Sema Fonkem 18 April 2026

Stellio Gilles Robert Capo Chichi, also known as Kemi Seba, was arrested inside a shopping mall in Pretoria, South Africa, by members of the South African Police Service (SAPS) on Monday, April 13, 2026.

Seba, a human rights activist and anti-colonialist personality, is wanted by Benin’s government for inciting rebellion during the failed coup in December 2025.

Seba was detained during a sting operation, together with his 18-year-old son and François van der Merwe, a facilitator who was paid around $15,000.00 USD to pass into Zimbabwe, from where they planned to travel to Europe.

François van der Merwe is a farmer in the Limpopo region and a leader of the Bittereinders, a far-right group in South Africa.

Seba, who was born in France to Beninese parents, was revoked of his French citizenship in 2024. He retaliated by burning his passport in front of his more than two million social media followers.

Seba is a pan-African strong voice with a large following; he has over 305000 Instagram followers, 1.5 million on Facebook, 527000 on Tik Tok, and 312000 on X.

Before losing his citizenship, Seba was imprisoned in France for racial hate toward white people. He is also wanted in France for crimes against humanity.

When Seba lost his French citizenship, he was given a diplomatic passport by government of Niger and he began servicing as special adviser to president Abdourahamane Tchiani.

South Africa and Benin established a relationship in 1994 for trade, economic cooperation and technical partnerships.

Seba has been accused of antisemitism and disseminating Russian propaganda to undermine France’s involvement in Africa.

Seba is set to appear in court on Tuesday, April 20, 2026. Arrangements are being made for his extradition to Benin, where he will face the allegations presented by Patrice Talon’s regime.

If Seba is tried and found guilty by the Court for the Repression of Economic Offences and Terrorism (CRIET), he may face a 20-year prison sentence.