Lt. Col. Pascal Tigri, the leader of the recent failed coup d’état in the Benin Republic, is reportedly hiding in neighboring Togo, according to a senior Beninese government official speaking anonymously.
According to BBC, the official confirmed that the Beninese government intends to formally request Tigri’s extradition, though Togo, which is also a member of ECOWAS, has not yet issued a public comment on the claim.
The foiled plot represents the latest in a series of military takeovers across West Africa, deepening concerns over the stability of democratic governance in the region.
The coup, which saw soldiers briefly seizing the state television station and reporting gunfire near the presidential residence on Sunday, December 7, 2025, was quickly crushed due to external military assistance.
The intervention was triggered by an urgent request from President Patrice Talon’s government.
Nigeria responded by deploying fighter jets to dislodge the mutinous soldiers from a military base and the offices of the state television broadcaster.
Nigeria’s deployment included both air and ground forces.
ECOWAS deployed elements of its standby force, including troops from Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone, and Côte d’Ivoire. Additionally, the head of Benin’s Republican Guard confirmed that French special forces provided assistance for mopping-up operations.
The rebel soldiers, who called themselves the “Military Committee for Refoundation,” cited several reasons for their attempt, pointing to the mismanagement of the country by President Talon.
They criticized the “continuing deterioration of the security situation in northern Benin,” where the military has suffered losses to jihadist groups linked to Islamic State and al-Qaeda operating near the borders with Niger and Burkina Faso.
They condemned the “ignorance and neglect” of fallen soldiers and their families.
Socio-Economic Issues: Other complaints included cuts to healthcare (like state-funded kidney dialysis), tax increases, and restrictions on political activities.
Benin, once considered one of Africa’s stable democracies, has faced accusations of democratic backsliding under President Talon, a businessman expected to step down next year after endorsing Finance Minister Romuald Wadagni as his preferred successor.
The three military-led states—Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger—that experienced recent coups have withdrawn from ECOWAS and formed the AES, a mutual defense pact.
This split, triggered by ECOWAS’s strong stance and threat of military intervention in Niger in 2023, has intensified geopolitical tensions and mistrust in the region.
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