President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Sunday praised the courage and swift response of Nigeria’s military after they intervened at the request of the Benin Republic to protect the country’s 35-year-old democracy from an attempted coup.
Acting on two separate appeals from Benin’s authorities, President Tinubu directed Nigerian Air Force fighter jets to enter Beninoise airspace, securing control and helping push back coup plotters who had taken over the national television station and regrouped at a military facility.
Benin’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in a note verbale, formally sought urgent air support from Nigeria “in view of the urgency and seriousness of the situation and to safeguard the constitutional order, protect national institutions and ensure the security of the population.”
A second request followed, in which Benin asked for the deployment of Nigerian Air Force assets in its airspace for surveillance and rapid-response operations under Benin’s command structure.
The Benin authorities further sought Nigerian ground troops, “strictly for missions approved by the Beninese Command authority in support of the protection of constitutional institutions and the containment of armed groups.”
Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede, confirmed that all requests had been carried out, noting that Nigerian ground forces were already operating in Benin.
“Ours is to comply with the order of the Commander-in-Chief of our armed forces, President Tinubu,” he said.
Tension escalated in the Republic of Benin, Nigeria’s neighbour, early Sunday when soldiers led by Colonel Pascal Tigri declared a coup, seized the national broadcaster, and announced the ousting of President Patrice Talon along with the suspension of democratic institutions. Hours later, loyalist forces, supported by Nigerian troops, regained control and expelled the mutineers from the state television premises.
Following the restoration of constitutional rule, President Tinubu applauded Nigeria’s armed forces, describing their actions as emblematic of their role in defending democratic governance.
“Today, the Nigerian armed forces stood gallantly as a defender and protector of constitutional order in the Republic of Benin on the invitation of the government. Our armed forces acted within the ambit of the ECOWAS Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance. They have helped stabilise a neighbouring country and have made us proud of their commitment to sustaining our democratic values and ideals since 1999. Nigeria stands firmly with the government and people of the Republic of Benin.”
