Benin Republic has declared Lieutenant Colonel Pascal Tigri and two other soldiers wanted following Sunday’s failed coup attempt aimed at toppling President Patrice Talon.
The development was confirmed on Monday by Nigeria’s presidential spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, who disclosed in a post on that Benin’s constitutional authorities had issued the official notice after regaining control of the situation.
Tigri, a senior military officer, had led a group of mutinous soldiers in an attempt to seize power in Cotonou, briefly detaining top security officials, including the country’s Chief of Army Staff and the Chief of the National Guard.
According to security analyst Brant Philip, the detained officials were released on Monday after loyalist forces overpowered the mutineers.
In a statement posted on , Philip wrote that the two senior officers were freed unharmed after being held hostage during the dramatic but short-lived uprising.
Their release came hours before President Talon addressed the nation in a televised broadcast, assuring citizens that order had been fully restored.
Reports indicate that President Talon was briefly held by the mutineers alongside several senior security aides before loyal forces repelled the coup plotters.
The swift intervention prevented what could have escalated into a prolonged political crisis in the West African country.
Authorities say Tigri and his accomplices fled after the failed operation, prompting the nationwide manhunt.
The attempted takeover in Benin adds to growing regional anxiety as West Africa continues to battle a wave of military coups, with Niger, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Guinea already under military rule.
Benin, once considered one of the region’s most stable democracies, is now dealing with an unprecedented internal security challenge.
The government has urged citizens to remain calm while security agencies work to track down the fleeing coup leaders.
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