A senior government official in Benin has told the BBC that the leader of Sunday's failed coup is taking refuge in neighbouring Togo.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, the official said that the government would request Lt Col Pascal Tigri's extradition. Togo's government has not yet commented.
The failed coup came after a series of military takeovers in West Africa, raising concern that democracy is increasingly under threat in the region.
It was thwarted after regional power Nigeria sent fighter jets to dislodge the mutineers from a military base and the offices of state TV following a request from President Patrice Talon's government.
A group of soldiers appeared on state TV early on Sunday to announce they had seized power, and gunfire was heard near the presidential residence.
French special forces also helped loyalist troops to thwart the coup, the head of Benin's republican guard told AFP news agency.
Dieudonne Djimon Tevoedjre said Benin's troops were 'truly valiant and faced the enemy all day' on Sunday.
'French special forces were sent from [Ivory Coast's main city] Abidjan, used for mopping up operations after the Beninese army had done the job,' he was quoted as saying.
The government official mentioned that they were aware Lt Col Pascal Tigri was in Togo's capital, Lomé, in the same area where President Faure Gnassingbé lives.
Benin is regarded as one of Africa's more stable democracies. However, it ranks among the world's poorest countries.
Nigeria described the coup attempt as a 'direct assault on democracy.'
The rebel soldiers justified their actions by criticizing Talon's management of the country and the ongoing deterioration of the security situation in northern Benin.
In recent years, West Africa has seen a troubling rise in coups, prompting serious concerns about political stability in the region.
