Inside details of Nigeria’s military operation that foiled coup in Benin Republic

A coup in the Republic of Benin was foiled with the support of the Nigerian armed forces on Sunday.

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PREMIUM TIMES learnt that the intervention came at the request of Benin’s President Patrice Talon, who sought immediate military backing to stop the forceful takeover of power in his country.

President Bola Tinubu ordered the Nigerian Air Force to enter the country and take over its airspace to help dislodge the coup plotters from National TV and a military camp where they regrouped, Presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga said in a statement.

Sources told PREMIUM TIMES that the deployment of Nigeria’s air force fighter jets played a significant deterrent role, forcing the mutineers to retreat from strategic locations, including the national broadcaster and a major military camp where they regrouped.

Similarly, our sources reported that ground forces were mobilised across land borders, drawing personnel from army battalions in Ikorodu, Badagry, and Owode in Ogun State, to prevent the forceful takeover in Cotonou.

PREMIUM TIMES reported how the coup plotters attempted to dismantle the French-speaking country’s constitutional institutions on Sunday.

The Nigerian presidency said Benin Republic authorities requested the deployment of Nigerian military assets for surveillance and rapid intervention under Benin-led coordination.

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“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,” the Nigerian presidency said.

Benin’s president, Mr Talon, later confirmed the coup, announcing that loyal forces had regained control.

“I express my condolences to the victims of this senseless adventure and to those still held by fleeing mutineers,” Mr Talon said in a televised address. “We will do everything to recover them safely.”

Sources told this newspaper that the Nigerian air force dropped explosives in some parts of the country on Sunday to scare the coupists, while Nigerian troops remain on standby and will respond immediately if the plotters regroup.

The intervention also received backing from ECOWAS, which ordered the deployment of a regional troop comprising personnel from Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana.

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The West African bloc earlier condemned the attempt as “a subversion of the will of the people of Benin.”

Gunfire first rang out across several neighbourhoods in Cotonou on Sunday, followed by the appearance of heavily armed soldiers on state television.

The group, calling itself the Military Committee for Refoundation and led by Colonel Tigri Pascal, announced the dissolution of national institutions, the suspension of the constitution and the closure of Benin’s land, air and maritime borders.

They cited deteriorating security in northern Benin and alleged neglect of fallen troops as justification for their action.

This would have been the latest in a surge of power seizures in West Africa, where Mali, Burkina Faso, Guinea and Niger have experienced coups since 2020.

Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede, confirmed that the Nigerian armed forces fully executed Benin’s request.

“Ours is to comply with the directive of the Commander-in-Chief,” he said. “All requested deployments have been carried out.”

In his remarks after the restoration of the democratic and constitutional order, President Tinubu commended the Nigerian armed forces for standing firm as a protector and defender of democracy.

“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. 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.”

Although Benin has enjoyed almost five decades without a coup, analysts say mounting insecurity in the north, where insurgent attacks have surged, may have contributed to the unrest.

Mr Talon has been in power since 2016 and is expected to step down next April.

Despite underlying tensions, the coup collapsed within hours, a development credited to regional solidarity and rapid military coordination led by Nigeria.