Benin’s President Patrice Talon said on Thursday, 18 December that the attempted coup of December 7, 2025 lacked backing from any significant segment of the Armed forces, describing it instead as a limited attack orchestrated by rogue actors who exploited young trainee soldiers.
Speaking in Cotonou, Talon said the plotters recruited inexperienced soldiers from the Togbin base without the involvement of the National Guard’s command structure. He stressed that the majority of the Army neither supported nor participated in the bid, which was swiftly neutralised within hours, despite resulting in several deaths.
Around 30 suspects, mostly military personnel, have since been detained and are facing charges including treason, murder and attacks on state security. The alleged ringleader, Lieutenant Colonel Pascal Tigri, and several accomplices remain at large after fleeing across borders.
Talon characterised the incident as the work of “thugs” and “small-scale terrorists” allegedly encouraged by marginal political actors. He confirmed that Nigeria, acting at Benin’s request and within the ECOWAS framework, carried out limited strikes to disable seized armoured vehicles, a move he said prevented wider destruction and loss of life.
The President said Benin has formally requested neighbouring countries to extradite fleeing suspects, underscoring that political grievances must never be channelled into unconstitutional attempts to seize power.