NAF Jets Strike Fleeing Soldiers Behind Botched Benin Coup

The Nigerian Air Force has launched a series of strikes on members of the group behind the failed coup attempt in Benin Republic, targeting mutineers trying to flee Cotonou in armoured vehicles. Reports from Zagazola Makama, an outlet that tracks security developments in the Lake Chad region, said the operation involved several coordinated attacks lasting more than half an hour, with Nigerian jets operating inside Beninese territory.

Sources cited in the report said the mission was conducted with the approval of Benin’s authorities and followed international procedures intended to reduce civilian harm while ensuring the fleeing plotters could not regroup. A military source said the action was an intelligence-driven effort aimed at preventing any spillover effects that could destabilise Nigeria’s borders and emphasised continued commitment to regional security cooperation.

The strikes followed Sunday’s attempted takeover in Benin, when soldiers identifying themselves as the Military Committee for Refoundation announced they had removed President Patrice Talon and dissolved state institutions. Gunfire was heard near the president’s residence, and armoured vehicles moved through central Cotonou as the mutineers attempted to assert control.

The Beninese presidency later confirmed that Talon was unharmed and that loyal forces had restored order, describing the coup plotters as a small group who briefly seized access to state television. The African Union condemned the attempt, while ECOWAS directed the deployment of a standby force to support stability in the country.