What Really Happened in Benin Today

Nigeria on Sunday withdrew the fighter jet it had earlier deployed to the Benin Republic after authorities confirmed that calm had returned to the neighbouring country following a dramatic but short-lived coup attempt.

The jet, deployed from Lagos for aerial surveillance and regional security monitoring, was ordered to return to base in the afternoon after new intelligence showed that loyalist forces in Benin had reasserted control and that Nigeria’s territorial security faced no immediate risk.

Security analyst Zagazola Makama disclosed on X that the attempted overthrow of President Patrice Talon had been “decisively foiled,” with loyalist troops restoring stability in Cotonou before nightfall.

The unrest began in the early hours when a group of mutineers in military uniforms launched a surprise attack on the president’s residence. Their offensive was quickly repelled, prompting them to shift targets. The group subsequently stormed the Office de Radiodiffusion et Télévision du Bénin (ORTB), seized the national broadcast facility, and attempted to control the state signal.

As panic swept across Cotonou, Benin’s National Guard and loyalist military units moved swiftly. They surrounded the ORTB headquarters, blocked all exits, and isolated the mutineers.

By late Sunday, government forces had secured key installations, restored order, and reassured the public.

“The situation is under control. The National Guard has everything surrounded,” a senior security official said, speaking anonymously due to the sensitivity of the operation.

Despite this, local outlets, including 24 Hours in Benin, reported that the mutineers remained barricaded inside the national broadcaster’s compound as negotiations continued to persuade them to surrender peacefully.

Earlier in the day, Interior Minister Alassane Seidou announced that the armed forces had successfully thwarted the coup attempt. This followed a brief appearance by soldiers on state television announcing the removal of President Talon, the closure of borders, and a suspension of political parties.

The presidency later confirmed that President Talon was safe and that loyal forces were steadily regaining full control of the capital.

The coup plotters, reportedly led by Lieutenant Colonel Pascal Tigri of a self-styled “Military Committee for Refoundation,” had attacked the president’s residence in the Le Guézo area before moving to the ORTB. From there, Tigri declared himself chairman of a “military re-establishment committee.”

However, the presidency, quoted by AFP, downplayed the scale of the mutiny.

“This is a small group of people who only control the television. The regular army is regaining control. The city and the country are completely secure.”