President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has written to the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria requesting formal consent to deploy Nigerian troops to the neighbouring Republic of Benin.
In the letter, Tinubu asks for Senate approval to send both air and ground forces, following a plea from the Benin government for urgent military assistance.
The request comes after a failed coup attempt in Benin, which saw mutinous soldiers seize the state television station and briefly declare the government deposed.
Earlier, the Beninese authorities had formally appealed to Nigeria for help. Their Note Verbal asked for immediate air support, as well as deployment of ground forces strictly under Benin’s command to protect constitutional institutions and civilian safety.
Responding to that appeal, Tinubu ordered the Nigerian Air Force to take control of Benin’s airspace and dispatched ground troops to support loyal forces.
Following the intervention, the coup was repelled, the state television was retaken, and control restored.
Tinubu lauded the military’s “gallantry” and said Nigeria’s action helped stabilise a neighbouring democracy.
However, some legal experts have questioned the constitutionality of the move. They argue that under Section 5 of Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution, the President must secure prior approval of the Senate before deploying the armed forces abroad, except in very limited and specific circumstances.
Critics claim that deploying troops to another sovereign country without such approval may amount to an impeachable offence.
In a related development, a Senate source told reporters, while the President did write to the Senate, the constitution actually gives the legislature up to 14 days to ratify or reject foreign combat deployments — a timeframe often overlooked in public discourse.
With the letter now before the Senate, all eyes are on how quickly lawmakers will act.