President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has commended the gallantry of Nigeria’s military for responding swiftly to the request by the Government of Benin Republic to save its 35-year-old democracy from coup plotters who struck at dawn on Sunday.
According to a statement released by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, President Tinubu acted promptly on two separate requests from the Benin government to assist in restoring constitutional order.
The first request saw the President ordering Nigerian Air Force fighter jets to enter Benin airspace to help dislodge the coup plotters from the National TV and a military camp where they had regrouped. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Benin had 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.”
In a second request, the Benin authorities called for the deployment of Nigerian Air Force assets within Beninese airspace for surveillance and rapid intervention operations under Benin-led coordination. The government also sought 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 the requests had been fulfilled, with Nigerian ground forces now present in Benin. “Ours is to comply with the order of the Commander-in-Chief of our armed forces, President Tinubu,” he said.
Constitutional order in the Republic of Benin was upended on Sunday morning when soldiers led by Colonel Pascal Tigri announced a coup, seized the National TV, and claimed to have toppled President Patrice Talon, suspending all democratic institutions. It took several hours before loyal government forces, with assistance from Nigeria, regained control and flushed out the coup plotters from the National TV.
After the restoration of democratic and constitutional order, President Tinubu saluted the Nigerian armed forces for their role in defending a neighbouring democracy.
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 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.”
