Nigeria Pulls Back Fighter Jets as Stability Returns to Benin After Foiled Coup

Nigeria has recalled the fighter jets it deployed to the Benin Republic after authorities concluded that security conditions in the neighbouring country had stabilised following Sunday’s failed military coup attempt.

Security insiders told Zagazola Makama that the aircraft, which were sent from Lagos for surveillance and regional security monitoring, were directed to return to base on Sunday afternoon. Updated intelligence assessments reportedly showed that the situation in Benin was “under control” and posed “no immediate threat to Nigeria’s territorial security.”

The attempted takeover was aimed at toppling the democratically elected government of President Patrice Talon. Mutineers dressed in military uniforms launched a pre-dawn assault on the presidential residence in Cotonou. Their effort to capture the president was unsuccessful, prompting the rebels to seize the state-owned Office de Radiodiffusion et Télévision du Bénin (ORTB), where they took over the national broadcast signal.

As tensions rose, loyalist forces — including the National Guard — moved swiftly, surrounding the ORTB complex and isolating the mutineers. By Sunday evening, security personnel had secured key government facilities and restored full control across the capital.

“The situation is under control. The National Guard has everything surrounded,” a senior security official said, speaking anonymously due to the sensitivity of the operation. Local media reported that the rebels were still holed up inside the television station late Sunday, with negotiations ongoing for a peaceful surrender.

President Patrice Talon was confirmed safe at an undisclosed location and has not yet addressed the public. No reports of widespread violence or casualties have emerged, and while Cotonou remained tense, the city was largely calm after the initial chaos.

Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga stated on his verified X account that the coup effort had been defeated. “Mutineers in military uniform who attempted to overthrow President Patrice Talon’s democratic government have failed. They seized the National TV after failing to enter the presidential residence,” he wrote.

Onanuga also said that the mutiny’s leader, Colonel Pascal Tigri, is currently on the run, while several others involved have been apprehended.

Benin’s Interior Minister, Alassane Seidou, addressed the nation on television, confirming the coup attempt and its failure. “Early on Sunday, 7 December 2025, a small group of soldiers launched a mutiny aimed at destabilising the state and its institutions. The Beninese armed forces and their leadership remained committed to the republic. Their response allowed them to retain control and foil the attempt,” he said.

Authorities have urged residents to continue their daily routines, assuring the public that the situation is fully contained.

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