President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Sunday commended the gallantry and decisive action of the Nigerian military for swiftly responding to the emergency request from the Government of the Republic of Benin, thereby saving its 35-year-old democracy from an attempted coup d’état.
Acting on two separate and urgent requests from Nigeria’s neighbour, President Tinubu immediately authorized the deployment of Nigerian Air Force assets to counter the putschists who had struck at dawn. The swift intervention ensured that the constitutional order, which had been upended earlier in the day, was restored within hours.
The crisis began when a group of soldiers, led by Colonel Pascal Tigri, seized the National Television station, claiming to have toppled President Patrice Talon and suspended all democratic institutions.
The necessity for Nigerian support was formally articulated by the Republic of Benin through its Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a Note Verbal. The document requested immediate 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 Beninese authorities later issued a second request, explicitly calling for the deployment of Nigerian Air Force fighter jets into Beninoise airspace for surveillance and rapid intervention, all coordinated under Benin-led command. Furthermore, Benin requested 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 the fulfillment of all requests. “Ours is to comply with the order of the Commander-in-Chief of our armed forces, President Tinubu,” General Oluyede stated, confirming that Nigerian ground forces are now operational in Benin.
The combined efforts of the government’s loyal forces and the assistance provided by Nigeria proved decisive. Nigerian fighter jets entered the country to take over the airspace, helping to dislodge the coup plotters from the National TV complex and a military camp where they had regrouped.
After some tense hours, the loyalist forces successfully took full control and flushed out the putschists, restoring stability and democratic governance to the nation.
In his remarks following the restoration of constitutional order, President Tinubu hailed the Nigerian Armed Forces for their unwavering commitment to democratic principles.
“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,” President Tinubu 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.”
