President Bola Tinubu has praised the Nigerian Armed Forces for their swift intervention in thwarting a coup attempt in neighbouring Benin Republic on Sunday, following an urgent request for military assistance from the Beninese government.
The intervention came after soldiers led by Colonel Pascal Tigri seized the national television station and a military camp in the early hours of Sunday, announcing the overthrow of President Patrice Talon and the suspension of democratic institutions.
According to a statement by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, the Benin Republic government sent two formal requests for assistance through Note Verbale to Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The requests cited “the urgency and seriousness of the situation” and called for immediate support “to safeguard the constitutional order, protect national institutions and ensure the security of the population.”
In response, President Tinubu authorized Nigerian Air Force fighter jets to enter Beninese airspace to help dislodge the coup plotters, alongside the deployment of Nigerian ground troops to support operations led by Beninese military authorities.
Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede, confirmed that all requested support had been deployed.
“Ours is to comply with the order of the Commander-in-Chief of our Armed Forces, President Tinubu,” he said.
Within hours, constitutional order was restored as loyalist forces, backed by Nigerian military assets, regained control of the state broadcaster and other strategic locations.
President Tinubu commended the Armed Forces for acting in line with the ECOWAS Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance.
“Today, the Nigerian Armed Forces stood gallantly as a defender and protector of constitutional order in the Republic of Benin, at the invitation of its government,” the President stated.
He added that the intervention underscored Nigeria’s unwavering commitment to democratic values since 1999 and reaffirmed the country’s solidarity with the government and people of Benin Republic.
The intervention marks a significant moment in regional security cooperation, as West Africa confronts a surge in coups and attempted coups in recent years.
Benin Republic, which shares a 773-kilometre border with Nigeria, has maintained democratic governance for 35 years and is considered one of the region’s more stable democracies.
