Abuja, December 9, 2025 – In a swift legislative move underscoring Nigeria's commitment to regional stability, the Senate on Tuesday approved President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's request to deploy Nigerian troops to the Republic of Benin for a peacekeeping mission. The decision, made during a plenary session, comes just two days after a short-lived coup attempt rattled the West African nation, highlighting the fragility of democratic institutions in the sub-region and Nigeria's pivotal role in countering such threats.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio read President Tinubu's formal letter at the session's outset, invoking Section 5(5), Part 2 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which mandates parliamentary consent for external military deployments following consultations with the National Defence Council. The letter detailed an urgent appeal from Benin's government for “exceptional and immediate provision of air support by the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria” to address an “attempted unconstitutional seizure of power and disruption and destabilization of democratic institutions.” Tinubu emphasized that the situation “requires urgent external intervention,” framing the response as a duty rooted in “close ties of brotherhood and friendship” between the two nations, as well as the principles of collective security enshrined in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
Akpabio committed the request to the Committee of the Whole for immediate deliberation, where senators unanimously endorsed the deployment, praising it as a proactive step to avert a potential humanitarian crisis and border instability. “This expeditious approval is to ensure peace and stability and to avoid humanitarian crisis in the sub-region,” Akpabio stated, adding that the Senate viewed the action as “a good step in the right direction.” A formal letter of consent was dispatched to the presidency shortly after, signaling seamless executive-legislative coordination.
The deployment request stems from dramatic events that unfolded in Benin on December 7, when a faction of military officers led by Lieutenant Colonel Pascal Tigri launched a brazen bid to overthrow President Patrice Talon. In the early hours, the plotters stormed Talon’s residence in Cotonou and seized the state broadcaster, Société de Télédiffusion du Bénin (SRTB). Appearing on live television, eight soldiers under the banner of the “Military Committee for Refoundation” (CMR) declared Talon “removed from office” and announced the dissolution of all government institutions, citing the need to “protect the country’s stability.”
Eyewitnesses reported sporadic gunfire near the presidential palace and the port area, with helicopters hovering overhead and roads to key sites cordoned off. Social media erupted with unverified footage of soldiers patrolling streets and explosions echoing through the city, amplifying fears of a broader uprising. The broadcast was abruptly cut after about 30 minutes, but not before the announcement sowed panic among residents and drew international alarm.
Benin’s response was resolute and rapid. Interior Minister Alassane Seidou announced by midday that loyalist forces had “thwarted” the mutiny at 11:09 a.m., crediting the Beninese Armed Forces’ fidelity to their oath. Talon, who had gone silent initially, addressed the nation that evening, confirming the plot’s failure and vowing retribution: “This treachery will not go unpunished,” he said, assuring citizens that the situation was “totally under control.” Government spokesperson Wilfried Léandre Houngbedji reported 14 arrests, including 12 active-duty soldiers and one dismissed officer, with 12 linked to the TV station takeover. Tigri and several accomplices remained at large as of Tuesday, declared wanted by authorities.
Nigeria’s involvement proved decisive from the outset. Three Nigerian Air Force jets entered Beninese airspace early Sunday, a move later confirmed by Presidential Spokesman Bayo Onanuga as an order from Tinubu to “take over the airspace to help dislodge the coup plotters from the national TV and a military camp where they had regrouped.” Benin had issued two urgent requests via its Foreign Ministry: first for air support to “safeguard the constitutional order,” and second for NAF assets in surveillance and rapid intervention under Benin-led coordination, plus ground forces for institutional protection.
The foiled coup marks a stark reminder of West Africa’s “coup contagion,” with eight successful or attempted takeovers since 2020 in nations like Mali, Guinea, Burkina Faso, Niger, and most recently Guinea-Bissau in November 2025. Benin, a bastion of stability since its last successful coup in 1972, faces unique pressures: Talon’s contested 2021 re-election amid opposition crackdowns, economic strains from global commodity slumps, and jihadist spillovers from the Sahel. Analysts link the plot to internal military grievances, possibly exacerbated by earlier 2024 coup allegations against Talon’s aides, who were sentenced to 20 years in January.
ECOWAS, under Tinubu’s chairmanship, condemned the attempt as a “subversion of the will of the people” and mobilized a standby force including Nigerian, Sierra Leonean, Ivorian, and Ghanaian troops to bolster Benin’s defenses. The African Union echoed this, with Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf reaffirming support for Talon and calling for the plotters’ immediate surrender. United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres also decried the bid, urging restoration of constitutional order.
Regionally, the deployment could enhance bilateral ties, given Benin’s role as a vital trade corridor for landlocked Sahel states and its shared border with Nigeria, where instability risks refugee influxes and cross-border crime. Nigerian Senator Orji Uzor Kalu hailed the Senate’s action as “productive and impactful,” tying it to national security imperatives. Yet, voices like activist Aisha Yesufu criticized it as a potential “threat to our democracy,” questioning the optics of military interventions abroad amid domestic challenges.
As troops prepare to mobilize—focusing on non-offensive roles like intelligence sharing and border patrols—the mission’s success will test Nigeria’s diplomatic heft. With Benin’s 2026 elections looming, sustained ECOWAS engagement could deter further unrest, but experts warn of underlying governance issues that fuel such plots. For now, the sub-region breathes easier, thanks to swift solidarity.
