Benin Coup Plot Tests Cross-Border Counterterrorism ReadinessExecutive Summary:On December 7, 2025, Nigeria and other members of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) helped Benin’s government thwart a military coup attempt, which the plotters justified as a response to escalating jihadist insecurity in the north. The intervention re-established Nigeria as a regional security guarantor and prevented Benin from falling under a junta that might have pivoted toward Russia’s sphere of influence. On December 7, 2025, Benin nearly became the latest country in Africa’s expanding “coup belt” to experience an overthrow of the country’s leadership (African Business, December 13, 2025). Any coup and ensuing political instability, moreover, would have further increased insecurity in Benin, thereby jeopardizing Nigerian security along their porous mutual border. While ISGS is yet to claim an attack in Nigeria, its Nigerian ally, Islamic State in West Africa (ISWAP), has done so.

Source: GhanaWeb January 29, 2026 22:00 UTC