Were Twelve Ivorians Arrested In Togo While Attempting To Organise A Coup?
On December 14, 2025, an X user @Cecild84 made a claim that twelve Ivory Coast citizens were arrested in Togo while attempting to organise a coup. The post had an image of uniformed military men with the caption “🇹🇬🇨🇮12 Ivorians have been caught in Togo trying to organise a coup. France sees Togo as a departure threat from ECOWAS, and are doing their best to install a proper puppet in Togo. The Ivorian officers arrested in Togo are said to have stayed in Benin 🇧🇯 according to local sources. This time we’ll see what story the mouthpiece of the Ivorian government is going to invent to free its hired killers. As much as there are many things I disagree with the Togolese government , I like their good relations with the AES.”
When this report was published, this claim had about 38,100 views and over 1,380 replies, reposts, quotes, likes and bookmarks. In the comment section, @williamwal79714 said “African must not stop and till all European are gone from the continent of Africa” and Mello3296 wrote “Well, they must face the law”
VERIFICATION
In early December 2025, there was a failed coup attempt in Benin Republic. Rebellious soldiers seized the national television station and briefly announced they had taken power. The government forces, backed by regional partners, regained control and the attempt was described as “foiled” by Beninese authorities.
Official reporting from news outlets including Sky News and Anadolu Agency says that individuals connected to the coup attempt were arrested in Benin. Initial figures mentioned 14 arrests, and later reports say at least 31 suspects including civilian and military personnel appeared in court over the failed coup.
According to Reuters and BBC, the alleged leader of the coup plot, Lieutenant Colonel Pascal Tigri, fled Benin and reportedly sought refuge in neighboring Togo after the attempt collapsed. Beninese authorities have sought his extradition. However, this does not equate to an organised coup plot in Togo, nor does it confirm arrests of Ivorian nationals on Togolese soil.
The only major reports identify the coup plotters as Beninese soldiers led by a Beninese officer. And this took place in the Benin republic. There are no verified reports from widely cited sources that specific groups of Ivorians were involved in organising a coup in Togo or arrested for that purpose nor any official statement of attempted military takeover in Togo.
A fact check of the images used in the claim confirms that one of the image appeared 5 years ago in a report about the military government in Mali detaining 49 Ivorian troops, while the other is related to a jihadist attack in Ivory Coast.
CONCLUSION
The claim that twelve Ivorians were arrested in Togo while attempting to organise a coup is FALSE. Available evidence shows that the coup related incident occurred in Benin and was successfully foiled by state security forces. Arrests connected to the plot were made within Benin, and while a key suspect reportedly fled toward Togo, there is no verified proof that a separate coup was being organised in Togo or that 12 Ivorian nationals were arrested there for such an act.
