BLUF

A military faction seized Benin's state television early on December 7 and declared President Patrice Talon removed from office. Government officials state that Talon is safe and loyalist forces are regaining control, but this remains an active and fluid situation. On-the-ground circumstances should be expected to evolve throughout the coming hours and days. Independent verification of competing claims is limited, and the true disposition of military forces across the country is not yet clear.

Updated Developments DEC 7-9, 2025

Status as of December 9, 2025: Coup suppressed. Heavy security presence remains in Cotonou. Tigri at large. Regional tensions elevated following Nigerian aircraft detention in Burkina Faso.

Coup confirmed foiled; Talon addresses nation

President Talon appeared on state television Sunday evening, confirming the coup had been suppressed and vowing that "this treachery will not go unpunished." He stated that loyalist forces "stood firm, recaptured our positions, and cleared the last pockets of resistance held by the mutineers." Interior Minister Alassane Seidou announced the coup was officially thwarted at 11:09 local time. A presidential adviser told the BBC that Talon had sheltered at the French Embassy during the initial assault, though this has not been officially confirmed.

Nigerian military intervention confirmed

President Bola Tinubu confirmed that Nigeria deployed fighter jets and ground troops to Benin at Talon's request. Nigerian Air Force precision airstrikes targeted Togbin military camp, reportedly killing several putschists. Nigerian forces also helped expel coup plotters from the state TV station. This marks Nigeria's first foreign military intervention since the 2017 Gambian constitutional crisis. ECOWAS subsequently deployed a regional stabilization force comprising troops from Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, and Ghana.

Arrests and casualties

Fourteen people have been arrested, including twelve active-duty soldiers and one dismissed servicemember. The whereabouts of coup leader Lt. Col. Pascal Tigri remain unknown. Authorities have not confirmed his capture. One confirmed fatality: Berthe Bada, wife of the Director of the Military Cabinet Bertin Bada, was killed when putschists invaded their home in Abomey-Calavi. Army Chief of Staff Abou Issa and National Guard commander Faizou Gomina were held hostage in their homes during the coup attempt but have since been freed. Talon indicated some hostages remain with fleeing mutineers.

Nigerian soldiers detained in Burkina Faso (December 8-9)

In a significant escalation of regional tensions, the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) announced that a Nigerian Air Force C-130 aircraft carrying 11 military personnel was forced to land in Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso on December 8 after allegedly violating AES airspace without authorization. The AES, comprising the junta governments of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, stated it has detained the soldiers and warned that "any aircraft entering its airspace without authorization will be immediately neutralized."

The Nigerian Air Force responded that the landing was a precautionary measure due to a technical issue during a ferry mission to Portugal, conducted in accordance with standard safety procedures. The Nigerian government says it is engaging through diplomatic channels to secure the personnel's release. Two diplomatic sources told ChimpReports the aircraft was on a logistics mission connected to Nigeria's deployment to Benin.

This incident underscores the deteriorating relationship between ECOWAS member states and the AES bloc, which formally withdrew from ECOWAS in January 2025.

Coup plotters' stated grievances

The CMR's televised statement cited multiple justifications: deteriorating security in northern Benin near the Niger and Burkina Faso borders, perceived neglect of soldiers killed in duty and their families, cuts to healthcare including the cancellation of state-funded kidney dialysis, increased taxes, and restrictions on political activity. These grievances, while not legitimizing unconstitutional action, reflect genuine tensions that predate this incident.

Situation Overview

Lieutenant Colonel Pascal Tigri led an armed assault on President Talon's residence near Camp Guézo in Cotonou at dawn, then seized the state broadcaster ORTB. Appearing in military fatigues alongside several soldiers, Tigri announced the formation of a "Military Committee for Refoundation" and declared the constitution suspended, all political institutions dissolved, and borders closed.

The broadcast lasted only minutes before the signal was cut. No subsequent communication from the coup plotters has been confirmed as of this reporting. Foreign Minister Olushegun Adjadi Bakari told Reuters that "a large part of the army is still loyalist and we are taking over the situation." The presidency confirmed Talon and his family are secure, though their location has not been disclosed.

The French Embassy reported gunfire at Camp Guézo and advised citizens to shelter in place. Street-level reporting from Cotonou describes the atmosphere as tense but not locked down, with civilian traffic still moving and police deploying at key intersections and around the port.

Preliminary Assessment

Several indicators suggest the coup attempt may be struggling to gain momentum, though it is too early to characterize this as a failed effort, despite numerous recent reporting indicating this as of the date/time of this original report