Leader of Benin's Failed Coup Reportedly Found in Togo

Wed Dec 10 2025 21:02:59 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

After an attempted coup in Benin, the plot's leader, Lt Col Pascal Tigri, is believed to be hiding in Togo. The regional implications are significant as the government considers extradition.

A failed coup in Benin has led to a major political crisis, with Lt Col Pascal Tigri reportedly seeking refuge in Togo. A senior Beninese official has confirmed that the government will demand his extradition. The coup attempt marks a concerning trend of military instability in West Africa, raising fears for democracy in the region. Following the turmoil, Nigeria intervened militarily to restore order, and the matter is compounded by regional forces from Ecowas stepping in to secure key installations.

A senior government official in Benin has told the BBC that the leader of Sunday's failed coup is taking refuge in neighbouring Togo.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, the official said that the government would request Lt Col Pascal Tigri's extradition. Togo's government has not yet commented.

The failed coup came after a series of military takeovers in West Africa, raising concern that democracy is increasingly under threat in the region.

It was thwarted after regional power Nigeria sent fighter jets to dislodge the mutineers from a military base and the offices of state TV following a request from President Patrice Talon's government.

A group of soldiers appeared on state TV early on Sunday to announce they had seized power, and gunfire was heard near the presidential residence.

French special forces also helped loyalist troops to thwart the coup, the head of the Benin's republican guard, which is in charge of protecting the president, told AFP news agency.

The government official stated that they knew Lt Col Pascal Tigri was in Togo's capital, Lomé. We don't know how to explain this but we will make an official extradition request and see how the Togolese authorities will react, the official added.

Togo is part of the West African regional bloc, Ecowas, which condemned the coup attempt. Ecowas has deployed troops from Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone, and Ivory Coast to secure key installations in Benin.

Benin, a former French colony, has been regarded as one of Africa's more stable democracies. The nation is one of the continent's largest cotton producers, but ranks among the world's poorest countries. Nigeria described the coup attempt as a direct assault on democracy.

Houngbédji told the BBC that a small number of soldiers from the National Guard were behind the coup attempt. The rebels criticized Talon's management and the government's response to security issues.

The attempted coup comes in the wake of multiple military takeovers in the region, including recent events in Guinea-Bissau, and raises alarms about the stability of democratic governance in West Africa.