A senior official in Benin Republic has revealed that Lt. Col. Pascal Tigri, the leader of the recent failed coup attempt in the country, is believed to be hiding in neighbouring Togo. The Beninese government is preparing a formal request for his extradition, although Togolese authorities have not yet commented on the matter, according to the BBC.
This failed coup is the latest in a series of military takeovers and attempted coups across West Africa, raising concerns that democratic governance in the region is increasingly under threat.
The attempted takeover in Benin was stopped after Nigeria deployed fighter jets to support loyalist forces. The intervention came at the request of President Patrice Talon. French special forces also reportedly assisted in suppressing the rebellion.
The coup plot began early on Sunday, December 7, 2025, when a group of soldiers appeared on state television claiming to have seized power. Gunfire was heard near the presidential residence. However, loyalist troops quickly regained control, and Tigri fled the country.
Benin’s government spokesperson, Wilfried Léandre Houngbédji, stated that only a small number of National Guard soldiers were involved. He explained that the National Guard is a recently created unit aimed at strengthening the country’s fight against terrorism, with significant investments in training and equipment.
During their brief broadcast, the rebel soldiers accused President Talon of mismanaging the country and failing to address worsening insecurity in northern Benin. They also criticised the government for neglecting the welfare of fallen soldiers’ families, cutting healthcare services—including the cancellation of state-funded kidney dialysis—increasing taxes, and placing limits on political activities.
Benin, long considered one of West Africa’s stable democracies, has recently faced rising insecurity due to jihadist activities near its northern borders with Niger and Burkina Faso. These groups, linked to Islamic State and al-Qaeda, have expanded their operations southwards.
President Talon, a businessman widely known as the “king of cotton,” has been in office since 2016 and is expected to step down next year at the end of his second term. He has reportedly endorsed Finance Minister Romuald Wadagni as his preferred successor ahead of the April elections.
The coup attempt came shortly after reports suggested that Guinea-Bissau’s President Umaro Sissoco Embaló had been overthrown, although some regional leaders—including former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan—have questioned those reports.
In response to the Benin incident, ECOWAS, of which Togo is a member, strongly condemned the attempted overthrow. The regional bloc has already deployed troops from Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone, and Côte d’Ivoire to secure strategic locations throughout Benin.
Nigeria also condemned the attempted coup, describing it as a direct attack on democratic rule.
Recent coups in Burkina Faso, Guinea, Mali, and Niger, alongside the growing influence of Russia in parts of the Sahel, have further heightened fears about political instability in West Africa. Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger have already withdrawn from ECOWAS to form the Alliance of Sahel States.
