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Burkina Faso Grants Asylum To Benin Republic’s Foiled Coup Leader, Pascal Tigri
By Barth Ikiebe
Burkina Faso has granted asylum to Benin Republic’s coup Leader, Lt Colonel Pascal Tigri.
Naija Standard Newspaper reported that the ringleader of the foiled coup, Lieutenant-Colonel Pascal Tigri escaped from the country, despite heavily armed security provided by the Nigerian Airforce and soldiers for fortification.
Many of the officers that stormed the television station in Benin in the company of Tigri where an announcement of the military takeover was made were disarmed and arrested. No one could locate the whereabouts of Tigri-the main suspect.
Investigations carried out by Naija Standard Newspaper confirmed that a few minutes before the coup was busted, Tigri told his ‘military boys’ he had to use the restroom, unknowing to them, he had gone out through the backdoor attached to the exit of the broadcast station building since he had sensed an in-coming danger.
The Newspaper tracker confirmed that Tigri under the cover of darkness same day quickly disguised, took a local bus/bush taxi in the form of Marcopolo from Cotonou in Tokpa Market in Cotonou, through Tokpa-Dome in Agonkanmè, via Rainbow Park heading north towards Parakou and then to the border, where he was secretly made to cross into Burkina Faso near Dori/Ouagadougou.
The rebel soldiers justified their actions by criticizing President Patrice Talon’s management of the country, complaining first about his handling of the “continuing deterioration of the security situation in northern Benin”.
Tigri’s contacts at the Benin Republic border were alleged to have already greased the palm of immigration officials in Togo to the tune of $20,000 cash to ensure a free passage should in case the operation went sore.
Tigri, the mastermind behind the failed revolutionary military takeover in Benin, who initially fled to Togo is now in Burkina Faso. Captain Ibrahim Traoré government has granted him a political refugee status.
President Traore was quoted as saying that, “This decision aligns with Burkina Faso’s humanitarian commitments and the principle of solidarity, a core value of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES). In keeping with these principles, Colonel Pascal Tigri will fully benefit from the hospitality and protection provided by Burkina Faso and the other AES member states.”
He added that Burkina Faso “reaffirms its dedication to the tradition of hospitality, fraternity, and cooperation among African peoples.”
Tigri’s arrival comes a few hours after Benin Republic’s President Patrice Talon urged Togolese President Faure Gnassingbé’s government to immediately extradite the coup mastermind, warning that failure to do so would be “proof that Togo was involved in the military takeover attempt.”
