Explosions and sporadic gunfire shook Tignon Barracks, about six kilometres from Cotonou Airport, on Sunday morning after soldiers involved in an attempted coup reportedly barricaded themselves inside the military facility, an investigator from Casus Belli reported.

Local informants said several mutinous officers, realizing the coup had failed, were hurriedly stripping their uniforms and changing into civilian clothes in a desperate bid to evade arrest.

The failed takeover was allegedly led by Lieutenant Colonel Pascal Tigri, who briefly declared himself head of a self-styled “Military Committee for Refoundation” during a dawn broadcast on national television. The mutineers announced the suspension of the constitution and the dissolution of President Patrice Talon’s administration before the feed was abruptly cut off.

Hours later, Interior Minister Alassane Seidou appeared in a recorded statement, declaring the coup “foiled” and insisting that loyalist forces had regained control. He assured citizens that order was being restored but offered no clarity on Tigri’s whereabouts. Security sources told SaharaReporters that the alleged ringleader may already be on the run.

Despite government assurances, the area around Tignon Barracks remained tense throughout the day. Multiple residents reported hearing blasts and bursts of automatic fire well into the afternoon, while soldiers without insignia were seen moving through nearby streets, often carrying bags and searching for informal exit routes.

“A group of coup leaders are said to have barricaded themselves in the barracks, while Lieutenant Colonel Tigri is reportedly on the run, being pursued by authorities,” the investigator said.
“Some soldiers inside Tignon are changing into civilian clothes to evade capture.”

Earlier, Belli reported on social media that three unidentified aircraft—including a military transport plane—were tracked arriving in Cotonou. Two reportedly came from Nigeria, and the transport aircraft originated from the Ivory Coast.

The attempted coup has shaken Benin, a country often praised as one of West Africa’s most stable democracies. ECOWAS and the African Union swiftly condemned the mutiny, urging respect for constitutional order and warning against any attempts to derail civilian governance.

Security analysts warn that the coming hours will be critical in determining whether the situation has truly stabilized or if a final confrontation between loyalist forces and desperate plotters may occur. As dusk fell on Cotonou, uncertainty lingered, with the number of holdouts inside Tignon Barracks still unknown and military checkpoints multiplying across the city.