Constitutional order was restored in the Republic of Benin on Sunday after a swift intervention by Nigerian military forces, following an attempted coup by a group of Beninese soldiers led by Lieutenant Colonel Pascal Tigri.
The incident unfolded at dawn, marking a significant, though brief, challenge to the West African nation's democracy.
The coup attempt began in the early hours of Sunday, December 7, 2025, when mutinous soldiers seized the National Television station in Cotonou and announced the dissolution of the government of President Patrice Talon.
The putschists claimed they had toppled the president and suspended all democratic institutions, according to a televised statement.
The rapid suppression of the coup was achieved with direct military assistance from Nigeria. The government of Benin has sent two separate urgent requests to Abuja for immediate military support.
Nigeria’s President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, ordered an immediate response. The first request, sent via a diplomatic Note Verbal, sought Nigerian air support "to safeguard the constitutional order, protect national institutions and ensure the security of the population."
The second requested the deployment of Nigerian Air Force assets for surveillance and rapid intervention operations, as well as Nigerian ground forces for specific missions approved by Beninese command.
"Ours is to comply with the order of the Commander-in-Chief of our armed forces, President Tinubu," said Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede, confirming that Nigerian ground forces were deployed to Benin and that all requests had been fulfilled.
In a statement later that day, President Tinubu commended the Nigerian Armed Forces for standing "gallantly as a defender and protector of constitutional order."
He asserted that the action was taken "within the ambit of the ECOWAS Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance."
The group of soldiers, who identified themselves as the Military Committee for Refoundation (CMR), cited multiple grievances for staging the coup.
These included concerns over President Talon’s governance, alleged favouritism in the military, neglect of soldiers killed on duty, and a deteriorating security situation in northern Benin, according to reports from state media outlets.
The attempted takeover created a tense security situation, with sporadic gunfire reported near the presidential residence in Cotonou.
Beninese Interior Minister Alassane Seidou was quick to appear on social media to claim the government was intact, and the coup had been foiled by loyalist forces.
By Sunday afternoon, the government claimed to have regained full control of the national broadcaster and key military installations.
At least 14 individuals, including active-duty soldiers, were reportedly arrested in connection with the plot, though the fate of the coup leader, Lieutenant Colonel Tigri, was not immediately known.
Until this incident, Benin had been seen as one of the more stable democracies in the region, with its last successful coup taking place in 1972.
