The Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, has said that Nigeria’s recent swift military intervention in the Benin Republic and the successful rescue of 100 abducted schoolchildren in Niger State demonstrate the Tinubu administration’s firm stance on democracy and national security.
Naijaonpoint reports that Onanuga made the remarks during an interview with Arise News on Monday, where he explained that Nigeria acted in response to formal requests from Benin’s President Patrice Talon, and also praised Nigerian security agencies for their role in securing the release of the schoolchildren.
Onanuga said, “What happened yesterday and what happened today only showed that this government is committed to protecting democracy, not just in Nigeria, but also among our neighbours.
“What you have also seen in the release of the Papiri children is that our security people, the armed forces, the air force, the ground troops, they are up to the task of helping to protect this country.”
Onanuga clarified that Nigeria’s military deployment to Benin was not unilateral but came after two formal notifications from the government of Benin Republic.
“The government of Benin, President Talon’s government, sent two notifications to Nigeria, actually in quick succession, because the first one was that Nigeria should send fighter jets to help them dislodge the coup plotters. And after that was done, they again requested for ground troops,” he explained.
Onanuga said the intervention was in line with protocols of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), of which President Tinubu is the current chairman.
“Since he came in in 2023, he’s been the greatest advocate of democracy in the West African sub-region, Whatever command he gave to our military to support Benin is in consonance with that. That is what he believes in,” Onanuga stated.
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