Niger’s public broadcaster aired testimony on the evening of 23 October in which police inspector Habibou Oumarou Mamane, known as “Le Rebelle”, alleged that intermediaries had recruited him to help locate and organise the extraction of Lieutenant-Colonel Pascal Tigri. Tigri is accused of leading Benin’s failed December 2025 coup attempt.
The inspector said Ange Karaou—also identified in local reporting as Ange Chekaraou—approached him in February 2026. He attributed the proposed operation to Beninese intelligence officials through that intermediary. These are allegations made in the televised testimony, not established findings against the people or institutions named.
He described promised rewards of CFA50 million, diplomatic passports and official appointments for successful participants. He also said he received CFA2 million for searches on 9 March at Niamey’s Grand Marché. The sums and alleged offers concern the earlier operation he described, rather than transactions newly occurring on 23 October.
ActuNiger reported that his family had described him as missing in the preceding days. According to the broadcaster’s presentation, the testimony followed questioning by the competent services. The circumstances of the recording, including the conditions under which he spoke, remain unclear. That uncertainty is central to assessing a statement carrying serious cross-border accusations.