Benin: Is Pascal Tigri, the mastermind of the failed coup of December 2025, in Niger?

Niger's national television network (RTN) broadcast a video late last week presented as the testimony of police inspector Habibou Oumarou Mamane during a hearing. In the recording, he claims to have met Ange Chékaraou, a friend with whom he used to share drinks, on February 27, 2026.

The latter allegedly asked him to find Colonel Pascal Tigri, the instigator of the failed coup of December 7, 2025 in Benin.

"The operation consisted of locating him and then organizing his exfiltration," explains the police inspector.

“50 million CFA francs, Beninese diplomatic passports, and appointments as special envoys”

Chekaraou allegedly told him that he was on a mission for the "Director of Operations of the DGDSE of Benin" and that the latter "had promised that in the event of success (of the operation), those who will be in charge of the exfiltration will be welcomed at the Presidency of Benin with many advantages."

On March 9, 2026, Ange allegedly contacted him again, specifying what "was promised to each one in case of success".

It was: "50 million FCFA, Beninese diplomatic passports and appointments as special envoys."

Habibou Oumarou Mamane said he replied to his friend that these advantages did not interest him, but that he could find people capable of carrying out the operation.

Mr. Chekaraou then allegedly sent him a large sum of money.

“The Beninese gave Ange 5 million as research fees. He only sent us 2 million and kept the remaining 3 million. I recovered these 2 million on March 9, 2026, at the main market in Niamey…” said Habibou Oumarou Maman.

"David told me he sent Ange 5 million CFA francs as a search fee to locate Colonel Pascal Tigri."

Later, he said he met a gentleman named "David, a pseudonym allegedly used by the director of operations of the DGDSE of Benin."

“I met him in a bar in Malanville, about 50 meters to the right of the paved road. David and Ilou, a Beninese police officer I had met during training in 2021, were also present. I was accompanied by a police officer who knew nothing about this case. David told me he had sent Ange 5 million CFA francs as a search fee to locate Colonel Pascal Tigri and his men in Niger. During our conversation, I realized that my contact was probably not the director of operations himself, but someone sent by him to meet with us,” the police inspector recounted, without providing further details.

It is important to clarify that Benin's intelligence services are not called the DGDSE. They are rather known as the DGS (Directorate General of Services), formerly the Directorate of Liaison and Documentation Services (DGSL).