BREAKING: Nigerian Fighter Jets Bomb Fleeing Coup Plotters in Benin — ECOWAS Moves to Crush Mutiny

In a dramatic show of regional military power, the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) on Sunday launched multiple precision airstrikes against fleeing members of a foiled military coup in the Republic of Benin, neutralising several suspected plotters and destroying armoured vehicles used in the attempted escape.

The daring cross-border operation, carried out in strict coordination with the government in Cotonou, followed credible intelligence that key elements of the coup were attempting to flee from the country’s interior towards coastal exit routes.

Senior security sources confirmed that Nigerian fighter jets entered Beninese airspace under a joint ECOWAS mandate designed to prevent the regrouping of the coup faction and restore constitutional order.

> “The mission was carefully planned with Benin’s leadership. The priority was to stop the fleeing elements from reorganising and reigniting instability after the failed putsch,”
a high-ranking intelligence operative told POLITICS NIGERIA.

The counter-offensive lasted approximately half an hour and involved a series of tightly coordinated strikes on several moving convoys believed to be carrying loyalists of the coup leader, Lt. Col. Pascal Tigri. The convoys were intercepted while advancing southwards from the countryside towards Cotonou and other strategic coastal routes.

Residents in some districts of Cotonou reported hearing loud explosions and witnessing thick plumes of smoke rising from the outskirts of the city, heightening speculation that foreign air assets were involved in crushing the rebellion.

AFP Confirms Joint Air Operation

International news agency Agence France-Presse (AFP) confirmed that Nigerian jets hit designated targets in apparent coordination with Beninese authorities who were racing to contain the mutiny.

Nigerian Air Force spokesman, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, said the operation was executed “in line with ECOWAS protocols and the ECOWAS Standby Force mandate”, emphasising that the mission served broader regional stability interests.

Security sources told POLITICS NIGERIA that the strikes successfully disabled multiple armoured vehicles and sealed off escape corridors mapped out by the coup faction. Although casualty figures remain undisclosed, officials confirmed that “a number of hostile elements” were killed during the engagement.

> “All flights were carried out with the knowledge and consent of Benin’s authorities and strictly in accordance with international rules of engagement,”
another senior official noted, stressing that planners prioritised avoiding civilian casualties.



Benin Thwarts Attempt to Overthrow Government

The airstrikes came hours after the collapse of an attempted coup led by Lt. Col. Pascal Tigri and his shadow faction, known as the Military Committee for Refoundation, which sought to dissolve state institutions and seize power in the West African nation.

Benin’s loyalist forces responded swiftly, reasserting control and forcing key members of the rebel faction to abandon their positions and flee south in a desperate escape attempt that triggered the regional intervention.

As ECOWAS intensifies efforts to curb the spread of military takeovers across West Africa, Sunday’s joint air mission marks one of the most decisive multinational responses yet, signalling a clear message that regional leaders will not tolerate unconstitutional power grabs.