The whereabouts of Lieutenant-Colonel Pascal Tigri, the alleged mastermind behind the thwarted coup attempt in Bénin on 7 December 2025, remain unknown. Yet the carefully constructed narrative from Niamey has just collapsed under the weight of undeniable evidence. Expert analysis, coupled with suspicious border maneuvers, now exposes the Nigerien regime’s desperate attempts to conceal its involvement.
Border games that can no longer be hidden
The official claim that Niger had nothing to do with Tigri’s escape is crumbling. French economist and former technical advisor to Niger, Olivier Vallée, has dismantled the government’s version by confirming that the fugitive Beninese officer did, in fact, set foot on Nigerien soil. This blatant state deception is further compounded by glaring chronological inconsistencies that the military junta in Niamey has failed to explain.
The timing of the border openings and closures is too precise to be accidental. Authorities in Niamey threw open their borders the evening before the coup attempt in Bénin, only to slam them shut the very next day—right after the operation collapsed. This calculated double game points to deliberate complicity: Nigerien territory served as a transit corridor for Tigri’s escape. According to Vallée’s findings, the fugitive took refuge in Niger to regroup before vanishing across borders. « As of now, he is no longer in Niger, » Vallée insists. « He is likely in the AES (Alliance of Sahel States), but not in Niger.»
While Vallée stops short of accusing the central administration of direct military support, the alignment between border manipulation and the fugitive’s presence reveals local-level complicity—or worse, covert protection that Niamey now scrambles to deny.
The hypocrisy of diplomatic theatrics
These revelations cast a harsh light on Niger’s two-faced diplomacy as it seeks to mend fences with regional partners. Just months ago, on 24 May, the staged appearance of Prime Minister Ali Lamine Zeine at the inauguration of Bénin’s new president, Romuald Wadagni, was meant to signal a fresh start in bilateral relations. Yet diplomacy cannot erase the truth. With Bénin offering a 20 million CFA franc bounty for Tigri’s capture, Niger finds itself trapped in its own contradictions. Between questionable border moves and temporary sanctuary for the fugitive, the regime in Niamey has been exposed—risking the collapse of its carefully crafted rapprochement.
