Overview
- Beninese officials say Lieutenant Colonel Pascal Tigri, identified as the plotters’ leader, fled to Lomé and they are pursuing his extradition, while Togo has not commented.
- Soldiers briefly seized state television, claimed to remove President Patrice Talon, suspended the constitution, and announced a Military Committee for Refoundation before being overpowered.
- Nigeria provided air strikes and deployed forces at Cotonou’s request, and France supplied surveillance, observation and logistics as part of a coordinated regional response.
- Benin’s republican guard chief told AFP that French special forces were sent from Abidjan for mopping‑up operations after loyalist troops restored control.
- Authorities report arrests, including at least 14 suspects, while the government acknowledges casualties on both sides with the overall toll still unclear, and ECOWAS warns elections are increasingly triggering instability across the region.