Leader Of Benin Republic Failed Coup Hiding In Togo, Says Beninese Officials

The ringleader of the recent botched coup in Benin Republic, Pascal Tigri, identified along with his accomplices, is reportedly hiding in Togo, according to Beninese officials.

Beninese soldiers, with support from Nigeria and Côte d’Ivoire, thwarted the coup attempt and subsequently identified Tigri as the mastermind.

While Nigeria conducted targeted airstrikes on fleeing plotters, Tigri’s exact location remained unknown until Wednesday, when officials told Reuters he was hiding in Lome 2, a district in the Togolese capital that also hosts President Faure Gnassingbe’s residence.

Benin has demanded the immediate extradition of Tigri.

President Patrice Talon vowed that “this treachery will not go unpunished.”

A memo from Benin’s national intelligence service to its Togolese counterpart, dated the day of the coup and seen by Reuters, indicated that Tigri had been contacted using a Togolese phone number.

The memo requested Togolese authorities’ assistance in apprehending and handing over the fugitive soldiers.

A government source added that any failure by Togo to extradite the suspects would be viewed as evidence of complicity in the attempted coup.