Tinubu hails Nigerian military for helping foil Benin coup

President Bola Tinubu has praised the Nigerian military for swiftly helping Benin Republic repel an attempted coup on Sunday.

Presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga confirmed the intervention in a statement issued in Abuja.

Onanuga said Tinubu acted on two urgent requests from the Beninese authorities for immediate Nigerian air support.

Benin’s Foreign Ministry, in a Note Verbale, sought help “to safeguard the constitutional order and ensure the security of the population.”

Tinubu then ordered Nigerian Air Force fighter jets into Benin’s airspace to dislodge the coup plotters from key locations.

The request also asked Nigeria to deploy air assets for surveillance and rapid intervention under Benin’s coordination.

A further appeal sought limited deployment of Nigerian ground forces for missions approved by Benin’s command authority.

Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Olufemi Oluyede, confirmed full compliance with the President’s directives.

“Ours is to comply with the order of the Commander-in-Chief, President Tinubu,” Oluyede said.

The crisis began when soldiers led by Col. Pascal Tigri seized the National TV station on Sunday morning.

They announced the ousting of President Patrice Talon and the suspension of democratic institutions.

Loyal forces, supported by Nigerian personnel, regained control after several hours of tense operations.

The coup plotters were flushed out from strategic installations as order gradually returned.

Tinubu hailed the troops for defending democracy within and beyond Nigeria’s borders.

“Today, the Nigerian armed forces stood gallantly as a defender of constitutional order in the Republic of Benin,” he said.

He noted that the intervention aligned with the ECOWAS Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance.

Tinubu said the operation helped stabilise a neighbouring country at a critical moment.

“Our armed forces have made us proud of their commitment to sustaining democratic values.

“Nigeria stands firmly with the government and people of the Republic of Benin,” Tinubu said.