Ebomaf denies report linking its jet to Benin officer’s escape

EBOMAF Group is pushing back hard against a report that tied its aviation arm to the alleged flight of a Beninese officer accused of involvement in a foiled coup, calling the claim false and demanding that it be corrected.

In a statement issued through its communications director, Patrice Kissi, the West African conglomerate said neither EBOMAF nor its airline subsidiary, LTI Aviation, transported Lt. Col. Pascal Tigri. The group said the allegation, circulated in regional media and amplified online, was presented without verifiable proof and wrongly pulled a private company into a politically charged case.

The denial follows reporting by Jeune Afrique alleging that an aircraft linked to LTI Aviation carried Tigri from Lomé, Togo, to Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, on Dec. 12. Ebomaf said the report was “manifestly unverified,” and argued that it damaged the reputation of the group and its affiliates.

“No aircraft of the group transported Colonel Tigri,” the statement said, describing the assertion as an unfounded association that risks fueling misinformation at a tense moment.

EBOMAF also said it has formally put the publication on notice, seeking a denial and correction. The group did not announce legal action, but the language of its statement signaled it is weighing its options and expects a swift response.

Tigri has been widely named in Beninese media as a central figure linked to an attempted coup reported to have been thwarted on Dec. 7. Authorities have not released a full public account of the investigation, but the episode has stirred anxiety in a region where a string of military takeovers has reshaped politics from the Sahel to parts of the coast.

Benin, often cited as one of West Africa’s steadier democracies, has watched the coup narrative spill across borders as speculation swirled over whether the officer left the country and, if so, how. In that atmosphere, corporate names and aircraft tail numbers can quickly become part of the story — sometimes before facts are established.

Ebomaf, led by Burkina Faso businessman Mahamadou Bonkoungou, has major interests across the region, including construction and other large-scale infrastructure work. LTI Aviation operates in the private charter space, a sector that often draws scrutiny during political crises because movements can be difficult to independently verify in real time.

The group said it remains committed to lawful operations and ethical standards, and described the allegation as disinformation.