Benin coup attempt collapses after Nigerian air support and ECOWAS standby deployment

On 7 December 2025, an attempted military coup in Benin, led by Lt. Col. Pascal Tigri, was suppressed within hours after loyalist forces moved to restore control—backed by Nigerian military assistance, including air support, and followed by the deployment of ECOWAS standby forces to reinforce stability and deter further unrest. In the early hours of the day, mutinous soldiers seized key points in Cotonou, including the national broadcaster, and declared that President Patrice Talon had been removed. Gunfire and clashes were reported near major state institutions as the government called it a mutiny and urged calm. Benin’s authorities requested urgent regional help. Nigeria responded with military support that included air operations and additional assistance on the ground, while ECOWAS condemned the attempted takeover and moved to deploy standby troops from member states to secure the capital and support constitutional order. By later that day, Benin’s government said the coup attempt had failed and arrests were underway. In the days after, officials reported that Tigri had fled across the border and sought his extradition—turning the episode into both a national security shock and a regional test of anti-coup enforcement.