President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has praised the Nigerian Armed Forces for their swift and decisive intervention in helping to foil an attempted military coup in the Republic of Benin on Sunday.
The attempted takeover unfolded at dawn when soldiers led by Colonel Pascal Tigri stormed Benin’s National Television Station, announcing the overthrow of President Patrice Talon’s government and the suspension of all democratic institutions.
Responding to an urgent request from Benin’s authorities, President Tinubu ordered the deployment of Nigerian Air Force fighter jets to secure Benin’s airspace, dislodge the coup plotters from the national broadcaster, and neutralise their regrouping at a nearby military camp.
According to a State House statement signed by presidential aide Bayo Onanuga, Benin’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs had, via a Note Verbale, requested immediate Nigerian assistance “in view of the urgency and seriousness of the situation, and to safeguard constitutional order, protect national institutions, and ensure the security of the population.”
Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede, confirmed that Nigerian ground forces had also been deployed under missions authorised by Benin’s command authority and aimed at stabilising key institutions while containing the insurgent troops.
“Ours is to comply with the order of the Commander-in-Chief of our Armed Forces, President Tinubu,” he said.
He added that loyalist forces, backed by Nigerian troops, successfully regained control of the National Television Station, flushing out the coup plotters and restoring order within hours.
In his remarks, President Tinubu commended the Nigerian military for standing “gallantly as a defender and protector of constitutional order in the Republic of Benin on the invitation of its government.”
He emphasised that Nigeria’s intervention aligned with 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,” the President said.
