A coup attempt in the Republic of Benin was thwarted on Sunday with the backing of the Nigerian armed forces, following an urgent request from President Patrice Talon.
Presidency officials told Premium Times that President Bola Tinubu authorised the Nigerian Air Force to take control of Benin’s airspace and help dislodge the mutineers who had seized the national broadcaster and regrouped at a military camp.
Presidential spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, confirmed the intervention, saying the directive followed a formal appeal from Benin’s government.
Security sources who spoke with Premium Times disclosed that the deployment of Nigerian fighter jets served as a major deterrent, forcing the coup plotters to abandon key strategic locations, including the national television station and a military camp.
Ground forces were also mobilised across land borders, drawing troops from army battalions in Ikorodu, Badagry and Owode in Ogun State to prevent the attempted takeover in Cotonou.
The Nigerian presidency said the deployments were carried out “for surveillance and rapid intervention under Benin-led coordination.”
It added, “The government also requested Nigerian ground forces, strictly for missions approved by Benin’s command authority, in support of protecting constitutional institutions and containing armed groups.”
Sources further indicated that NAF aircraft dropped explosives in targeted areas to scare the coupists, while troops remain on standby in case the mutineers regroup.
In a televised address, President Talon confirmed that the attempt had been defeated and expressed sympathy for those affected.
He said, “I express my condolences to the victims of this senseless adventure and to those still held by fleeing mutineers. We will do everything to recover them safely.”
Gunfire earlier echoed across several neighbourhoods in Cotonou, with heavily armed soldiers appearing on state TV to announce the dissolution of national institutions.
The group, calling itself the Military Committee for Refoundation, led by Colonel Tigri Pascal, declared the suspension of the constitution and closure of all borders, citing worsening insecurity in northern Benin and alleged neglect of fallen troops.
ECOWAS Backs Intervention
The intervention received immediate support from ECOWAS, which ordered the deployment of a regional standby force with personnel from Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana.
The bloc condemned the attempted putsch as a subversion of the will of the people of Benin.
This attempt adds to a series of coups that have shaken West Africa since 2020, including in Mali, Burkina Faso, Guinea and Niger.
Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede, confirmed that all military actions requested by Benin were executed.
He said, “Ours is to comply with the directive of the Commander-in-Chief. All requested deployments have been carried out.”
President Tinubu later commended the Nigerian armed forces for acting swiftly to defend the democratic order in the neighbouring country.
He said, “Today, the Nigerian armed forces stood gallantly as defenders and protectors of constitutional order in the Republic of Benin on the invitation of the government.
“They acted within the ambit of the ECOWAS Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance. They have helped stabilise a neighbouring country and 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.”
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