Benin: a lieutenant colonel on trial for glorifying crime after a WhatsApp message sent to the coup leader

A lieutenant colonel of the Beninese Armed Forces (FAB) appeared before the judges of the Court for the Suppression of Economic and Terrorism Offenses this Monday. Detained since early June 2026 after being arrested by the Criminal Brigade, the senior officer is being prosecuted for “advocating a crime against state security”.

The prosecution accuses him of having sent a congratulatory message to Pascal Tigri, the alleged mastermind of the coup, on the morning of the events. “Congratulations Mr. President,” the officer reportedly wrote in a WhatsApp group shared with the leader of the coup plotters and several other army officers, Banouto reported.

The defendant pleads not guilty and explains himself

Called to the stand, the lieutenant colonel pleaded not guilty. While he acknowledged the authenticity and sending of the incriminating message to Pascal Tigri, he categorically denied any intention to advocate for a crime or support the destabilization of the institutions. The officer extensively justified his action as a response to a context of panic, uncertainty, and personal preservation strategy.

According to his statements, upon noticing suspicious movements early in the morning on Sunday, December 7, 2025, he made unsuccessful attempts to contact General Abou Issa (Chief of Staff of the Army) and General Faïzou Gomina (Chief of Staff of the National Guard) by phone to verify the situation. Failing to get a response and seeing an armored vehicle parked on his own street, he ended up believing that the coup had been successful.

The officer clarified that he had notoriously terrible relations with Pascal Tigri, his fellow graduate. The latter indeed considered him a fiercely “pro-Talon” military man due to past disagreements. On seeing the armored vehicle, the defendant admitted that he panicked, fearing that the leader of the coup plotters might have sent men to arrest or eliminate him because of this label. In a bid to demonstrate neutrality and protect himself in a hurry, he decided to send that message in the WhatsApp group around 9 a.m., well before the official address from the then-Minister of the Interior, Alassane Séidou, clarified the failure of the coup attempt.

The defense pleads for acquittal

For the officer’s counsel, the good faith and lack of complicity of his client are evident. The lawyer argued that if the lieutenant colonel had truly been in collusion with Pascal Tigri’s group or if he had shared their rebellious ambitions, he would have taken advantage of the six months between the failed coup and his arrest in June to flee abroad. His continued position and availability to his superiors demonstrate, according to the defense, that it was an isolated act driven by the instinct for survival amidst a morning of general confusion.