President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has praised the Nigerian Armed Forces for what he described as their “gallant” and decisive intervention in the Republic of Benin on Sunday, following a request from the Beninese government to help repel a coup attempt that briefly threatened the country’s 35-year stretch of uninterrupted democracy.
In a statement signed by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, President Tinubu said he ordered immediate military assistance after receiving two urgent requests from authorities in Benin Republic.
According to the statement, the Republic of Benin, through its Ministry of Foreign Affairs, issued a Note Verbal seeking Nigerian air support “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.”
The first order from President Tinubu directed Nigerian Air Force (NAF) fighter jets to enter Beninese airspace, take control, and help dislodge the coup plotters who had seized the National Television station and regrouped at a military camp.
In a second request, Benin called for NAF assets to be deployed within its airspace for surveillance and rapid intervention operations under Benin-led coordination. The government further requested the deployment of Nigerian ground forces “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 directives had been executed.
“Ours is to comply with the order of the Commander-in-Chief of our armed forces, President Tinubu,” he said. “Nigerian ground forces are now in Benin.”
The coup attempt, led by Colonel Pascal Tigri, saw rebel soldiers seize the National TV station on Sunday morning, declaring the suspension of democratic institutions and the removal of President Patrice Talon. It took hours of coordinated action by loyal Beninese forces, supported by the Nigerian military, to regain full control and flush out the putschists.
Following the restoration of constitutional order, President Tinubu commended the Nigerian Armed Forces for their steadfastness and their regional commitment to democratic stability.
“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,” the President said. “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.”
