Tinubu Praises Nigerian Military for Foiling Coup Attempt in Benin Republic, Assures Support for Regional Democracy

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has applauded the swift and decisive response of Nigeria’s armed forces after they moved into the Republic of Benin on Sunday to help repel an attempted coup targeting the country’s 35-year-old democracy. The intervention followed urgent requests from the Beninese government after soldiers attempted to overthrow President Patrice Talon at dawn.

Tinubu’s commendation was conveyed in a statement issued by his media aide, Bayo Onanuga, on Sunday evening. According to the statement, the Government of Benin reached out to Nigeria through two separate diplomatic communications, seeking rapid military assistance to secure the nation’s constitutional order.

Responding to the first request, the Nigerian President immediately authorised Nigerian Air Force (NAF) fighter jets to enter Benin’s airspace. The aircraft were tasked with securing strategic locations, including the national television station and a military camp where the coup plotters had regrouped. Benin’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs had communicated the urgency through a Note Verbal, stressing the need to “safeguard the constitutional order, protect national institutions, and ensure the security of the population.”

A subsequent request from the Beninese authorities sought expanded support: surveillance and rapid-response operations using NAF assets and the deployment of Nigerian ground forces to operate strictly under Benin’s command structure. The troops were requested to help secure constitutional institutions and contain armed groups backing the attempted overthrow.

Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede, confirmed that all requests were carried out, with Nigerian ground forces already stationed in Benin. He emphasised that the military was acting under the directive of President Tinubu as the Commander-in-Chief.

President Tinubu, who also chairs ECOWAS, commended the Nigerian military for their firmness in defending democracy within the region. He highlighted that the intervention aligned with the ECOWAS Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance, noting that Nigeria remained committed to stabilising neighbouring countries and upholding democratic values.

“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,” the statement read. “They have helped stabilise a neighbouring country and have 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.”

Earlier on Sunday, Benin’s government confirmed that it had thwarted a coup attempt after soldiers identifying themselves as the “Military Committee for Refoundation” took over state television to announce that President Patrice Talon had been removed from office. The president, however, was quickly confirmed safe, with a source close to him describing the coup attempt as the work of “a small group of people who only control the television.”

The failed coup comes amid a wave of military takeovers in West Africa, including Niger, Burkina Faso, Mali, Guinea, and most recently Guinea-Bissau. Benin, which had remained largely stable, has recently faced heightened security pressures, particularly from jihadist groups in its northern region.

President Talon, a 67-year-old former businessman known as the “cotton king of Cotonou,” is expected to hand over power in April next year after a decade marked by economic growth and rising insecurity.