Coup Leader Pascal Tigri Fled to Neighboring Country After Failed Benin Takeover
- A failed coup in Benin saw army officer Pascal Tigri flee to neighbouring Togo after loyal troops restored order
- President Patrice Talon remained in power with support from Nigerian forces, ECOWAS and French special units
- Benin has declared Tigri and two other soldiers wanted, as officials prepare an extradition request to Togo
The army officer who led the attempted coup in the Republic of Benin, Pascal Tigri, fled to neighbouring Togo on December 4 to seek refuge.
Officials of the Beninese government told the BBC that Mr Tigri left the country after the failed attempt to oust President Patrice Talon.
Source: Twitter
Government representatives confirmed that they were aware of Tigri’s current location and intended to submit a formal request for his extradition.
One official was quoted by the BBC as saying: “We don’t know how to explain this, but we will make an official extradition request and see how the Togolese authorities will react.”
Military committee for refoundation declared takeover
Last Sunday, a group of soldiers calling themselves the “Military Committee for Refoundation” (CMR) appeared on state television to announce that they had taken control of the government.
The soldiers, led by Tigri, appointed him president of the military committee.
The group claimed to have met and decided that President Patrice Talon “is removed from office as president of the republic.”
Gunfire reported near presidential residence
PREMIUM TIMES reported that the French Embassy in Benin disclosed that “gunfire was reported at Camp Guezo” near the president’s official residence.
President Talon later declared that the coup had been thwarted by loyal military troops. PREMIUM TIMES further reported that the Nigerian Army and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) provided support to foil the coup.
Nigeria and France backed Benin’s defence
The intervention from Nigeria came at the request of President Talon, who sought immediate military backing to stop the coup.
Dieudonne Tevoedjre, head of Benin’s republican guard, told AFP news agency that French special forces also helped in the operation. He explained that French troops were sent from Abidjan, Ivory Coast’s main city, and were used for “mopping up operations after the Beninese army had done the job.”
Tevoedjre praised Benin’s forces, saying they were “truly valiant and faced the enemy all day” on Sunday.
ECOWAS condemned coup attempt
ECOWAS had earlier condemned the coup, describing it as a subversion of constitutional order. Although Togo is a member of ECOWAS, it has yet to comment on the extradition request for Mr Tigri.
Reports suggested that Tigri may have fled further from Togo to Burkina Faso, but this could not be verified at the time of reporting.
Benin had previously declared Mr Tigri wanted alongside two other soldiers, Ousmane Samary and Sambieni Castro, who were also identified as part of the coup attempt.
Source: Getty Images
Nigerian senate approves troops deployment to Benin republic
Legit.ng earlier reported that the Nigerian Senate has approved President Bola Tinubu’s request to deploy troops to the Republic of Benin.
The move came in response to last weekend’s attempted coup in the neighbouring country, which raised fears of instability across West Africa. Senate President Godswill Akpabio announced the approval on Tuesday during plenary.
Lawmakers considered the request in the Committee of the Whole in line with section 5, Part 11 of the Constitution. The Senators unanimously voted in favour of the deployment, giving legislative backing to the regional security intervention.
Source: Legit.ng
