Treachery Will Not Go Unpunished: Benin President Speaks On Failed Coup As Nigeria Deploys Fighter Jets And Soldiers

In a dramatic televised address on the evening of Sunday, 7 December 2025, President Patrice Talon of Benin announced that his government and loyalist armed forces had successfully defeated an attempted military coup. The president vowed severe retribution against those involved. The dramatic day-long crisis, marked by gunfire in the streets of Cotonou, prompted a swift military response from neighbouring Nigeria, which deployed fighter jets and ground troops to aid the Beninese government.

President Talon described how forces loyal to his administration fought back against mutinous soldiers who had earlier seized the state broadcaster. The president was unequivocal in his condemnation of the plotters.

“This commitment and mobilisation enabled us to defeat these adventurers and to prevent the worst for our country… This treachery will not go unpunished,” Talon stated.

The president added that his thoughts were with the victims of the attempt and individuals held by the fleeing mutineers, though he did not provide specific numbers. Government spokesperson Wilfried Leandre Houngbedji later confirmed that 14 people had been arrested in connection with the coup by Sunday afternoon.

Nigerian Jets Scramble To Benin’s Aid

The swift collapse of the coup bid was significantly aided by foreign intervention. According to a statement from Nigerian President Bola Tinubu’s office, issued on 7 December, the Beninese government made urgent requests for assistance. President Tinubu first ordered the Nigerian Air Force to take control of Benin’s airspace.

“The President of Nigeria… first ordered Nigerian fighter jets to enter Benin and take over the airspace to help dislodge the coup plotters from the National TV and a military camp where they had regrouped,” the statement detailed.

This was followed by the deployment of Nigerian ground troops at the request of Cotonou to help protect constitutional institutions. Tinubu praised his troops for helping to “stabilise a neighbouring country”.

The regional bloc, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), also announced it had ordered the immediate deployment of its standby force, comprising troops from Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, and Ghana.

A Day Of Confusion And Gunfire

The crisis began in the early hours of Sunday morning when residents of several Cotonou neighbourhoods heard sustained gunfire. By the morning, at least eight soldiers appeared on state television, announcing the dissolution of national institutions. The soldiers’ statement, read on air, cited the deteriorating security situation in northern Benin.

“The army solemnly commits to give the Beninese people the hope of a truly new era, where fraternity, justice and work prevail,” the soldiers’ broadcast claimed.

However, the attempted takeover was short-lived.

Foreign Minister Olushegun Adjadi Bakari told Reuters that the mutineers only briefly controlled the television network. Witnesses described a tense day. Narcisse, a furniture salesman in Cotonou who gave only his first name, recounted his fear.

“I got scared and brought my sofas inside and closed. It’s a bit calmer now, which is why I reopened,” he said.

The French embassy reported gunfire near the presidential residence, advising its citizens to stay indoors. By early afternoon, loyalist forces had regained control, with police deployed at major city intersections.

A Surprise Threat In A Stable Nation

The coup attempt sent shockwaves through a region accustomed to political instability but came as a particular surprise in Benin, a nation last rocked by a successful coup in 1972. Analysts point to underlying tensions. Nina Wilen, director for the Africa Programme at the Egmont Institute for International Relations, noted that Benin has been the hardest hit among coastal West African states by jihadist spillover from the Sahel, with major attacks killing dozens of soldiers in January and April 2025.

The attempt also comes amid a heated political climate as Benin prepares for a presidential election in April 2026. Last month, a new constitution was adopted, extending the presidential mandate.

The opposition Democrats party, founded by former President Thomas Boni Yayi, has seen its proposed candidate rejected by the courts. Ibrahim Yahaya Ibrahim of the International Crisis Group suggested such political manoeuvring contributes to regional instability.

The situation in Cotonou was reported as calm on Monday, 8 December, as authorities began their investigations and the promised crackdown on those behind the failed plot commenced.