The coup plotters in Benin Republic
By Our Reporter
Nigeria dispatched fighter aircraft to Benin Republic and called back the jet after authorities assessed that the security situation in Benin had stabilised following Sunday’s attempted military coup.
Security sources revealed that the aircrafts, dispatched from Lagos for surveillance and regional monitoring, were ordered back to base on Sunday afternoon after updated intelligence confirmed that loyalist forces in Benin had restored control and that there was “no immediate threat to Nigeria’s territorial security.”
In a related development, 13 soldiers including suspected ringleaders were arrested following Sunday’s attempted coup announced on national television.
Military and security sources told AFP that all but one of the detainees are serving soldiers, while the remaining suspect is a former member of the armed forces.
The arrests came after a group of officers appeared on the state broadcaster claiming they had removed President Patrice Talon from office and dissolved all state institutions under the banner of a so-called “Military Committee for Refoundation.”
Recall that a coup attempt targeting President Patrice Talon’s democratic government was thwarted on Sunday after mutineers launched an early morning operation in Cotonou. Their assault on the presidential residence failed, prompting the group to seize the state-owned Office de Radiodiffusion et Télévision du Bénin (ORTB), where they took control of the national broadcast signal.
The government’s response was swift and coordinated. Units of the National Guard and loyal military forces moved into action, surrounding the television station and isolating the rebels. By Sunday night, key government institutions were secured and loyalist forces were firmly in control of the capital.
“The situation is under control. The National Guard has everything surrounded,” a senior security official said on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the operation.
Local media, including 24 Hours in Benin, reported that the mutineers remained barricaded inside the ORTB building as negotiations continued for their peaceful surrender.
President Patrice Talon, who remained secured at an undisclosed location throughout the episode, has yet to address the nation.
There were no immediate reports of widespread violence or casualties, and although the atmosphere in Cotonou remained tense, calm had largely returned by late Sunday.
The Benin government is expected to release an official statement detailing the identities of the mutineers and the circumstances surrounding the failed uprising.
