Benin’s coup leader, headed by Lt Col Pascal Tigri (3rd L) announcing the over throw of Government which was foiled
HABARI DAILY I Kampala, Uganda I Benin’s President Patrice Talon, has been declared a survivor in the violence-prone West African region, where many civilian governments have fallen to marauding soldiers who can hardly keep to their barracks.
Reports from Cotonou city in, Benin are that a relative calm has returned to the area. President Talon has since addressed the nation, saying the coup plotters had been defeated and urged citizens to remain calm.
Nigerian troops are expected to be bolstered by troops from Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast and Ghana under ECOWAS shortly.
Nigerian fighter jets and ground troops have also moved in to help restore order after a foiled coup attempt.
Earlier on, Nigerian quick-reaction units helped loyalist Beninese forces push back rebels at Camp Guezo near Talon’s home, where heavy gunfire was heard on Sunday.
Reports indicate the military was conducting operations against pockets of resistance against the coup plotters.
Further reports have also revealed that Benin’s attempted coup leader Lt Col Pascal Tigri, together with over 15 accomplices are now behind bars, awaiting trial. This group had seized the headquarters of national broadcaster ORTB, airing a message declaring the constitution suspended and borders closed, before royalists regained control hours later.
Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, who is also the Chairperson of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), said the deployment complied with the trade block’s Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance, which obliges member states to resist unconstitutional changes of government.
He resolved to head off a political crisis in a country that is battling jihadists and serves as a key trade corridor in West Africa.
Benin and Nigeria share a long, porous border and extensive economic interdependence.
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