Inside Benin Republic’s Failed Coup: How Nigerian Forces Saved The Day

Benin’s President Patrice Talon has insisted that the situation is now “completely under control” after the government crushed an attempted coup on Sunday. Calm gradually returned to Cotonou on Monday following a tense day marked by sporadic gunfire and a heavy military presence across the city.

The crisis began early on Sunday when a group of soldiers stormed the national broadcaster, announcing that they had removed President Talon, dissolved the government, and suspended all state institutions. The officers, eight in total, declared Lieutenant Colonel Pascal Tigri as the new head of a self-styled “Military Committee for Refoundation”. They accused the government of neglecting the worsening security situation in northern Benin and failing to honour fallen soldiers.

How the Coup Unfolded and Collapsed

The televised declaration triggered an immediate response from loyalist forces. Interior Minister Alassane Seidou later confirmed that the military had “foiled” the plot, describing it as a mutiny aimed at destabilising the state.

Nigeria played a decisive role in quelling the revolt. Nigerian President Bola Tinubu confirmed that fighter jets and ground troops crossed into Benin after Talon’s government issued two formal requests for urgent assistance, including a call for “immediate Nigerian air support”. The intervention, according to Tinubu, was necessary to protect constitutional order in a neighbouring state and prevent regional destabilisation.

By Sunday evening, President Talon appeared on state television to reassure citizens.
“I would like to assure you that the situation is completely under control,” he said, adding that the swift mobilisation of loyal forces “allowed us to thwart these adventurers”. He vowed that the betrayal “will not go unpunished”.

Arrests and Casualties

Government spokesperson Wilfried Léandre Houngbédji announced that 14 suspects had been arrested, though he did not confirm whether Tigri himself was among them. Talon also acknowledged “victims of this senseless adventure” and individuals still being held by fleeing mutineers, without providing further details.

Regional and International Reactions

The failed coup drew immediate condemnation.
The African Union said it “strongly and unequivocally condemns” the attempt, calling any military interference in politics a violation of its core principles. ECOWAS also denounced the plot and ordered a standby regional force made up of personnel from Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast and Ghana to support Benin in securing constitutional order.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres warned that another coup in West Africa would further threaten an already fragile region.

The Context

Benin, home to about 14 million people, has a long history of coups but has enjoyed two decades of democratic stability. Although its official capital is Porto-Novo, Cotonou remains the commercial and administrative centre.

President Talon, first elected in 2016 and re-elected in 2021, now faces a new test of political resilience after a dramatic but short-lived mutiny—one ultimately extinguished with decisive help from Nigeria.