Nigeria’s president says he sent fighter jets and troops to Benin to help quell a coup attempt by mutinous soldiers. Soldiers were seen riding in a military vehicle along a street amid the attempted coup in Cotonou, Benin, on Sunday, December 6, 2025.
Nigerian President Bola Tinubu confirmed that he deployed fighter jets and ground forces to neighbouring Benin to help stop a coup attempt by Beninese soldiers. In a statement released on Sunday, Tinubu’s office said Nigeria intervened after President Patrice Talon’s government made two requests for assistance, including a call for immediate Nigerian air support.
According to the statement, Tinubu first ordered fighter jets into Benin to take control of the airspace and help dislodge the coup plotters from the National TV station and a military camp where they had regrouped. Nigeria later sent ground troops following another request from Benin’s government for support in protecting constitutional institutions and containing armed groups.
Tinubu praised the forces, saying they helped stabilise a neighbouring country. His statement followed Talon’s appearance on national television announcing that Benin’s security forces had successfully blocked the coup attempt.
Talon promises punishment
President Talon announced that loyal forces stood firm, retook positions, and cleared remaining pockets of resistance from mutineers. He said their commitment helped defeat the plotters and prevent further damage to the country, adding that the betrayal would not go unpunished. Talon expressed sympathy for the victims and those held captive by the fleeing mutineers, though he did not provide further detail.
This unrest marks another challenge to democracy in West Africa, a region that has recently experienced multiple military takeovers in Niger, Burkina Faso, Mali, Guinea and recently Guinea-Bissau. The event was unexpected in Benin, where the last successful coup occurred in 1972.
Government spokesperson Wilfried Leandre Houngbedji reported that 14 people had been arrested in connection with the coup attempt by Sunday afternoon. A security source told AFP that all detainees except one, who was ex-military, were active soldiers. It was unclear whether coup leader Lieutenant Colonel Pascal Tigri had been captured.
Foreign Minister Olushegun Adjadi Bakari told Reuters that the mutineers briefly seized the state TV network. Although gunfire was heard in parts of Cotonou during the attempt, the city was mostly calm by early afternoon, residents said.
ECOWAS to send troops
Both ECOWAS and the African Union condemned the coup attempt. Later on Sunday, ECOWAS announced it would deploy troops from Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast and Ghana to support Benin in preserving constitutional order and territorial integrity.
The coup attempt comes as Benin prepares for a presidential election in April, expected to mark the end of Talon’s term. The country recently adopted a new constitution introducing a Senate and extending the presidential term from five to seven years. Critics see the reforms as a power move by the governing coalition, which has selected Minister of Economy and Finance Romuald Wadagni as its presidential candidate. Meanwhile, the opposition Democrats party has had its proposed candidate rejected for lack of sufficient backing from lawmakers.
Ibrahim Yahaya Ibrahim of the International Crisis Group said coup attempts across Africa often stem from governments failing to uphold democratic responsibility. He noted that Benin stands out positively as Talon is willing to step down, unlike some leaders in the region who have sought term extensions. However, he added that the rejection of the opposition candidate raises concerns about the fairness of the political process.
