By Ebi Kesiena
The Nigerian Senate has granted approval for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s request to deploy Nigerian troops to the Republic of Benin as part of regional efforts to restore stability following last weekend’s attempted coup in the neighbouring country.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio announced the decision during Tuesday’s plenary session after lawmakers considered the president’s request in the Committee of the Whole, in line with Section 5, Part II of the Constitution. The motion received unanimous support, giving full legislative backing to the intervention.
Akpabio described the approval as both timely and necessary, stressing that political instability in any West African state poses broader security risks for the entire subregion.
“An injury to one is an injury to all,” he said, emphasising Nigeria’s responsibility to stand by its ECOWAS partners in moments of crisis.
President Tinubu, in his earlier letter to the Senate, urged lawmakers to authorise the deployment under existing ECOWAS security protocols, noting that Nigeria bears a historic obligation to support the Republic of Benin in safeguarding democratic governance. He warned that the situation required swift external intervention to prevent further escalation.
The attempted coup in Benin unfolded on Sunday when a group of soldiers, identifying themselves as the “Military Committee for Refoundation,” appeared on national television and announced that they had “removed Mr. Patrice Talon from office as President of the Republic.” Their declaration was short-lived as loyalist forces quickly regained control and restored order.
In response to the failed takeover, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) activated its regional security mechanism. In a statement, the bloc said its Authority of Heads of State and Government had directed the immediate deployment of elements of the ECOWAS Standby Force to Benin.
According to ECOWAS, the standby force will be drawn from Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana.
“The Force shall support the Government and the Republican Army of Benin to preserve constitutional order and the territorial integrity of the Republic of Benin,” the statement read.
