Senate backs Tinubu, approves deployment of Nigerian troops to Benin Republic
Amid rising political unrest in West Africa, the Nigerian Senate on Tuesday granted approval for the deployment of troops to the Republic of Benin, endorsing President Bola Tinubu’s request for military support following an attempted coup in the neighbouring country.
The decision came after lawmakers deliberated on the President’s letter in the Committee of the Whole, acting in line with Section 5, Part II of the Nigerian Constitution.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio, who presided over the session, announced the endorsement, emphasising that regional stability is inseparable from Nigeria’s national security.
Akpabio described the unanimous vote as a “necessary and timely intervention,” noting that insecurity in any West African nation invariably affects the entire region.
“An injury to one is an injury to all,” he said, stressing Nigeria’s obligation to uphold its commitments within the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
The Senate is expected to officially transmit its resolution to the President without delay.
President Tinubu, in his formal request to the legislature, argued that Nigeria bears a historical and strategic responsibility to support Benin, especially under existing ECOWAS defence and security mechanisms.
He warned that the political crisis in the neighbouring country requires “urgent external intervention” to avert a deeper breakdown of law and order.
The attempted coup unfolded last Sunday when a faction of Benin’s military, calling itself the Military Committee for Refoundation (CMR), appeared on state television declaring that President Patrice Talon had been removed from office.
Their announcement was short-lived: loyalist forces quickly regained control of key installations in Cotonou.
Sources close to the Beninese leadership confirmed that the situation was swiftly contained, saying the army had “completely secured” the capital and that the process of restoring full normalcy was underway.
The regional bloc has taken a firm stance in the aftermath of the foiled coup.
ECOWAS announced that its standby force will be deployed to Benin “with immediate effect” following consultations among heads of state and members of the Mediation and Security Council.
According to the communiqué, the multinational force will comprise troops from Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Côte d’Ivoire, and Ghana.
The contingent is expected to work alongside Benin’s government and its regular army to safeguard constitutional order and territorial integrity.
The incident added to a troubling wave of recent military interventions and attempted takeovers across West Africa.
In the past two months alone, Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau have faced similar threats, while Benin shares borders with Niger and Burkina Faso—two nations that currently remain under military rule.
