How Nigerian govt helped foil coup attempt in Benin Republic – Tinubu | READ DETAILS
Nigeria’s President, Bola Tinubu has revealed that he approved the deployment of troops whose swift intervention foiled an attempted coup in neighboring Benin Republic on Sunday.
Taking to his X handle on Sunday, Tinubu commended Nigeria’s Armed forces for gallantly defending democracy and dislodging soldiers who seized Benin Republic’s national television station early Sunday and claimed to have toppled President Patrice Talon.
“Earlier today, on my orders, 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” Tinubu wrote.
Providing more information on the operation, the Special Adviser to Tinubu on Information and Strategy revealed that;
“………………….Acting on two separate requests from the Government of Benin, President Tinubu first ordered Nigerian Air Force fighter jets to enter the country and take over the airspace to help dislodge the coup plotters from the National TV and a military camp where they had regrouped.
The Republic of Benin, through its Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in a Note Verbal, requested immediate Nigerian air support “in view of the urgency and seriousness of the situation and to safeguard the constitutional order, protect national institutions and ensure the security of the population.”
In the second request, the authorities in Benin requested the deployment of Nigerian Air Force assets within Beninoise airspace for surveillance and rapid intervention operations under Benin-led coordination.
The Benin government also requested 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.”
Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede, said all the requests have been fulfilled, with Nigerian ground forces now in Benin. “Ours is to comply with the order of the Commander-in-Chief of our armed forces, President Tinubu,” he said.
Constitutional order was upended in the Republic of Benin, Nigeria’s neighbour, when some soldiers led by Colonel Pascal Tigri announced a coup on Sunday morning. The putschists seized the National TV and claimed they had toppled President Patrice Talon and suspended all democratic institutions. It took some hours before the government’s loyal forces, assisted by Nigeria, took control and flushed out the coup plotters from the National TV.”
