- info@thetraffic.ng
- 7 Nasir El Rufai Crescent, Guzape
- Apple honors eight developers with annual Apple Design Awards
- PRESIDENT TINUBU’S MINING REFORMS YIELD SIX-FOLD INCREASE IN REVENUE, $800M FOREIGN INVESTMENT, REVEALS ALAKE
- Shettima Vows Federal Backing for Nigerian Investors: A Billion-Dollar Economy in Sight
- JAMB Raises Bar for Under-16 Admission as 599 Gifted Candidates Score Above 320 in UTME
- CPC Bloc Reaffirms Commitment to APC
- National Sports Commission Convenes Strategic Meeting With Sports Federations’ Presidents and Secretaries
- Nigeria Declares Bitcoin & Other Virtual Assets as Official Securities in Bold New Law
- Osinachi’s Husband Sentenced to Death by Hanging
- Court of Appeal Upholds IPOB’s Terrorist Status – What This Means for Nnamdi Kanu
- IG Orders Arrest Of Cops’ Killers During Abuja Shi’ite Procession
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has commended Nigeria’s armed forces for their swift and decisive response to a coup attempt in the Republic of Benin on Sunday, describing their actions as a “gallant defence of democracy.”
The coup attempt, led by Colonel Pascal Tigri, disrupted constitutional order in Benin’s capital at dawn, with putschists seizing the National Television station and a military camp, claiming to have toppled President Patrice Talon and suspended democratic institutions.
Acting on urgent requests from the Benin government, President Tinubu ordered the Nigerian Air Force to secure Benin’s airspace and support operations to dislodge the coup plotters. In a Note Verbal from Benin’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the neighbouring country formally requested immediate Nigerian air support “to safeguard the constitutional order, protect national institutions, and ensure the security of the population.”
A second request sought the deployment of Nigerian Air Force assets for surveillance and rapid intervention under Beninese-led coordination, alongside Nigerian ground forces “strictly for missions approved by the Beninese Command authority in support of the protection of constitutional institutions and the containment of armed groups.”
READ ALSO: VP Shettima in Abidjan for Ouattara Inauguration
Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede, confirmed that Nigerian forces had complied with all directives. “Ours is to comply with the order of the Commander-in-Chief of our armed forces, President Tinubu,” he said, noting that Nigerian troops are now operating on Beninese soil.
The military intervention helped loyal government forces regain control within hours, flushing out the coup plotters from the National TV and restoring stability to the country.
In his remarks following the restoration of constitutional order, President Tinubu praised the armed forces for upholding democratic ideals and reaffirmed Nigeria’s support for its neighbour. “Today, the Nigerian armed forces stood gallantly as a defender and protector of constitutional order in the Republic of Benin on the invitation of the government. Our armed forces acted within the ambit of the ECOWAS Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance. 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,” he said.
Analysts have described Nigeria’s intervention as a demonstration of the country’s regional leadership role and commitment to maintaining peace and democratic governance in West Africa. ECOWAS protocols provide for collective action in cases of unconstitutional changes of government, which guided the Nigerian response.
With Benin’s constitutional order now restored, President Tinubu has reiterated Nigeria’s readiness to support its neighbours in defending democracy, while commending the professionalism and discipline of the Nigerian armed forces.
