Lagos – Nigeria’s President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Sunday authorized a rapid military response in the Republic of Benin after the neighboring country formally requested assistance to repel a dawn mutiny by soldiers attempting to overthrow its 35-year-old democratic government.
The development, confirmed in a statement by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, saw Nigerian Air Force (NAF) fighter jets enter Benin’s airspace to dislodge mutinous troops who had seized the national television station and regrouped at a military camp.
According to the statement, Benin Republic’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs sent a Note Verbal requesting “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.”
A second request followed, seeking the deployment of Nigerian air assets for surveillance and rapid-response missions under Beninese command, as well as the deployment of ground forces strictly for missions approved by Benin authorities.
Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede, confirmed that all requests had been executed. “Ours is to comply with the order of the Commander-in-Chief of our armed forces, President Tinubu,” he said, noting that Nigerian troops were already on Beninese soil.
The crisis erupted early Sunday when soldiers led by Colonel Pascal Tigri announced on National Television that they had toppled President Patrice Talon and suspended democratic institutions. Loyalist forces, reinforced by Nigerian air power, quickly reclaimed the broadcaster and flushed the putschists from their strongholds.
In a statement following the operation, President Tinubu praised the Nigerian armed forces for their “exemplary defense of democracy in the West African region.” He said, “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 stabilize a neighboring country and have made us proud of their commitment to sustaining our democratic values and ideals since 1999.”
Tinubu reaffirmed Nigeria’s unwavering support for the Beninese government and citizens, emphasizing that the region must not allow anti-democratic forces to thrive. The swift intervention underscores Nigeria’s role as a regional peacekeeper and a key proponent of democratic stability in West Africa.
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