President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Sunday praised the Nigerian Armed Forces for their prompt and coordinated intervention in the Republic of Benin, where an attempted coup briefly disrupted constitutional order earlier in the day.
The operation, carried out at the request of the Beninese government, followed two emergency notes issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Cotonou. The requests sought immediate Nigerian military support to repel soldiers who had seized the National Television station and claimed to have toppled President Patrice Talon.
Responding to the appeal, President Tinubu directed the Nigerian Air Force to take control of Benin’s airspace and assist in dislodging the coup plotters. Fighter jets were deployed to secure key locations, including the national broadcaster and a military camp where the mutineers had regrouped.
In a separate communication, the Beninese authorities asked for the deployment of Nigerian air assets for surveillance and rapid-response operations. They also requested Nigerian ground forces to support operations authorised by Benin’s command structure. The goal, according to the request, was to protect constitutional institutions and prevent armed groups from expanding the crisis.
Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede, confirmed that all requests from the government of Benin had been fully executed. He disclosed that Nigerian troops were already on the ground and operating under agreed terms.
“Our duty is to comply with the directive of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, President Tinubu,” he said.
The attempted coup, led by Colonel Pascal Tigri, began early Sunday when a group of soldiers stormed the national broadcaster. They announced the suspension of democratic institutions and declared that the Talon administration had been overthrown. Loyalist forces, supported by Nigerian military operations, regained control of the broadcaster hours later and cleared the coup plotters from the area.
With order restored, President Tinubu commended the Nigerian military for acting decisively and in accordance with regional 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 its government,” he said. “They acted within the framework of the ECOWAS Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance. Their swift response has helped stabilise a neighbouring country and reinforced our commitment to democratic values since 1999.”
President Tinubu reaffirmed Nigeria’s solidarity with the government and citizens of the Republic of Benin, emphasising that the defence of democracy in West Africa remains a shared regional priority.
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