Nigerian military forces have been deployed to Benin to support the government following a failed coup attempt, the Nigerian presidency confirmed on Sunday. The intervention came after a group of soldiers in Benin announced their attempt to overthrow President Patrice Talon via state television.
According to a statement from Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu’s office, the Nigerian Air Force responded to two urgent requests from Benin’s government. The Nigerian military deployed fighter jets to secure Benin’s airspace, aiming to dislodge the coup plotters, who had seized control of the national TV station and a nearby military camp.
The Beninese government confirmed that it had successfully thwarted the coup attempt, and authorities indicated that they had regained control of the situation. However, in a note to Nigerian officials, the Beninese Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed the urgency of the situation, requesting immediate military support to stabilize the country and protect its constitutional institutions.
The note also mentioned the need to ensure the security of the population and to safeguard national institutions, including the country’s democratic governance. The request further specified the need for Nigerian fighter jets to assist in surveillance and rapid intervention operations, with Beninese command coordination.
In response, President Tinubu authorized the Nigerian Air Force to carry out the operation and emphasized that Nigeria’s military action was in line with the ECOWAS protocol on democracy and good governance.
Nigeria’s intervention came at a time of increasing instability in the region, as Benin faces growing concerns over internal security, particularly following recent tensions in other West African nations. The Nigerian president’s office stated that the intervention was crucial in helping to stabilize the situation in a neighboring country.
“Our forces have helped stabilize a neighboring country,” Tinubu said in a statement.
The military operation was carried out under the coordination of ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States), which earlier confirmed that troops from Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Côte d’Ivoire, and Ghana were also being sent to Benin to provide additional support and contain the coup attempt.
ECOWAS, which has long advocated for democratic governance in West Africa, emphasized the importance of standing in solidarity with Benin’s legitimate government in this critical moment.
Benin has long been considered one of the more stable democracies in West Africa, but it has faced increasing security challenges in recent years. The region has seen a rise in violent coups and instability, particularly in the Sahel and West African nations such as Mali, Burkina Faso, and Guinea. This latest attempted coup in Benin signals the ongoing fragility of democracy in the region.
The attempted military takeover and the swift response from ECOWAS reflect the growing concern over the spread of military coups in West Africa, with multiple countries experiencing disruptions to constitutional order.
