President Bola Tinubu on Sunday praised the Nigerian Armed Forces for their rapid response in the Benin Republic after a failed military coup in country.
Tinubu’s response followed the actions of loyalist forces in Benin, aided by Nigerian troops and air support, who expelled soldiers that had captured the national television station early Sunday and asserted they had overthrown President Patrice Talon.
A declaration endorsed by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, indicated that the Government of Benin officially sought Nigeria’s military support in two distinct messages after coup conspirators headed by Col. Pascal Tigri declared the cessation of democratic institutions.
According to the statement, Tinubu, responding to the request, commanded Nigerian Air Force fighter jets to secure Benin’s airspace and help remove the mutineers from key areas, such as the national broadcaster and a military base.
Benin requested the deployment of Nigerian surveillance aircraft and ground troops “solely for operations sanctioned by the Beninese Command authority to aid in safeguarding constitutional institutions and managing armed groups.”
The statement indicated that Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede, affirmed that all requests had been fulfilled and that Nigerian soldiers were already deployed in Benin.
“Ours is to comply with the order of the Commander-in-Chief of our armed forces, President Tinubu,” he was quoted as saying.
Tinubu, who is also chairman of ECOWAS, said the intervention was in line with the bloc’s Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance.
“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. Nigeria stands firmly with the government and people of the Republic of Benin,” the president said.
Benin’s government, however, announced that the coup attempt had been suppressed and control restored.
