Nigerian airstrikes play decisive role in foil coup attempt in Benin
The unrest began early Sunday when the rebels briefly seized control of state television, announcing Talon’s removal and the suspension of the constitution, citing security concerns in northern Benin. Government reports indicate that the mutineers first targeted senior military officials, including the president’s military chief of staff, General Bertin Bada, whose wife was killed during the attack on his residence. Two other top officers, General Abou Issa and Colonel Faizou Gomina, were abducted and held until Monday morning.
“Nigeria came to our assistance by carrying out airstrikes later in the day, which immobilized some of the armored vehicles used by the mutineers,” the Benin government stated.
Authorities said the coup plotters engaged in a clash with the Republican Guard around 5 a.m. local time while attempting to storm Talon’s residence, resulting in casualties on “both sides” before loyal forces repelled them. The rebels then attempted to regroup at the Togbin military base, but the army surrounded the location and requested external air support. The leader of the short-lived junta, Colonel Pascal Tigri, remains unaccounted for.
Nigerian President Bola Tinubu confirmed that he had ordered fighter jets to secure Benin’s airspace to assist in dislodging the coup plotters from both the national television station and a military camp where they had regrouped. Tinubu stated that this action followed two official requests from Beninese authorities for Nigerian ground and air support.
In addition, the West African regional bloc ECOWAS has placed a standby force on alert to support Benin’s army in defending constitutional order, including the deployment of an Ivorian special forces unit to Cotonou for potential follow-on operations.
Benin is preparing for a presidential election scheduled for April 12, 2026, which is expected to conclude Talon’s decade-long tenure that began in 2016.
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the
information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept
any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images,
videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information
contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright
issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
