Romuald Wadagni has won Benin's presidential election with 94.05 percent of the vote, according to preliminary results released Monday by the Autonomous National Electoral Commission.

Armed assailants on motorbikes killed at least 30 people and burned houses and shops during raids on three villages in northwest Nigeria's Niger State early on Saturday, residents who escaped the violence told Reuters.

The regional force of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) will be used if necessary to maintain constitutional order in Benin, where a group of military forces attempted to seize power on Sunday.

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev received the credentials of Väino Reinart, the newly appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Estonia, News.Az reports.

Benin announced that it had successfully thwarted a coup attempt, resulting in the arrest of Republican Guard Commander Djimon Dieudonne Trvoedjre, former Sports Minister Oswald Homeky, and businessman Olivier Boko, who are accused of plotting to overthrow the democratic government.

The Biden administration is seeking new military bases in West Africa as American special operations forces withdraw from a key drone base in Niger ahead of a September 15 deadline previously agreed upon by the two governments, News.Az reports citing foreign media.