The alleged architect of last week’s failed coup attempt in Benin is now believed to be sheltering in neighbouring Togo, according to multiple sources familiar with the situation.
Beninese government officials told Reuters that Lieutenant Colonel Pascal Tigri along with others accused of involvement in the plot has taken refuge in Lomé 2, a district of the Togolese capital. The news outlet Jeune Afrique has also reported the same location.
Tigri appeared on Benin’s state broadcaster on Sunday, flanked by seven soldiers, claiming they had toppled President Patrice Talon and identifying himself as the group’s leader.
The attempted takeover was swiftly thwarted by Benin’s armed forces, with support from Nigerian troops and French logistical units. At least 14 people were arrested shortly afterward, a government spokesperson confirmed.
Tigri managed to evade capture, leaving his whereabouts uncertain until reports surfaced of his presence in Togo.
The incident marks yet another test of regional cooperation in West Africa, which has faced a wave of coups in recent years. Benin has reportedly requested that Togo extradite Tigri and the other fugitive soldiers.
President Talon has condemned the attempted coup as an act of “treachery” that “will not go unpunished.”
