Nigeria’s Senate, on Tuesday 9th December, endorsed President Bola Tinubu’s request to deploy troops to Benin, following an appeal from the Beninese Government for urgent military assistance to thwart an attempted coup.
In his letter to lawmakers, Tinubu said Benin had sought immediate air support after mutinying soldiers attempted to seize President Patrice Talon, and disrupt democratic institutions. Nigerian fighter jets were reported to have carried out airstrikes to help suppress the uprising.
In line with Nigerian law, foreign troop deployments require Senate approval, which lawmakers granted after Tinubu emphasised Nigeria’s commitment to regional security and its longstanding ties with its neighbour.
The intervention comes as the wider West African region confronts mounting instability. ECOWAS Commission President Omar Alieu Touray warned at a ministerial meeting in Abuja that the bloc is effectively in a state of emergency, citing escalating political and security threats.
ECOWAS has condemned the attempted putsch in Benin and ordered the deployment of its standby force to reinforce stability. Tinubu urged Nigeria’s legislators to act swiftly, stressing the urgency of safeguarding Benin’s security along the two countries’ extensive 700-kilometre border.