Benin Coup: Tinubu Averted Key Security Threat to Nigeria, Says NGF

•Senate backs president, okays deployment of troops to neighbouring country

•ECOWAS states nation’s role in averting coup should be standard to safeguard democracy

•We also provided logistic support to avert coup, France declares

Chuks Okocha, Michael Olugbode, Emmanuel Addeh, Sunday Aborisade in Abuja and Yinka Kolawole in Osogbo

Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), yesterday, declared support for President Bola Tinubu’s intervention in Sunday’s attempted coup in the Republic of Benin, saying his timely role prevented a major security threat to Nigeria. Chairman of NGF and governor of Kwara State, Alhaji AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, disclosed this while reacting to the development.

That was as Senate granted Tinubu’s request to deploy Nigerian troops to Benin, endorsing what the lawmakers described as a decisive and constitutionally grounded move to prevent the collapse of democratic order in the neighbouring country.

At the same time, Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) applauded Nigeria’s role in quashing the coup, saying it must be the standard to safeguard democracy.

Relatedly, France, yesterday, said it provided intelligence and logistical support to Benin to help thwart Sunday’s coup attempt in the former French colony, according to officials from the French presidency.

AbdulRazaq said a successful military takeover in Benin would have created opportunities for militants and other non-state actors operating across the Sahel to further destabilise Nigeria.

He said large portions of the country, including the forests, had already been infiltrated by armed groups.

The governor, in a statement, insisted that any collapse of constitutional order in the neighbouring country would have had direct security implications for Nigerian border communities.

He stated, “Apart from supporting democratic order in the Sub-region, the president acted in the best interest of Nigeria and West Africa.

“With the Sahel already in severe security distress, a successful coup in Benin would have had devastating effects on our own country due to the long and porous borders we share.”

The forum praised the Nigerian Armed Forces for the rapid response that helped restore stability in Benin, stating that threats to cities such as Porto Novo, Cotonou or Parakou pose serious risks to Nigeria.

“It is our position that democracy, despite its challenges, remains the most reliable framework for regional peace, stability and development,” it added.

NGF said the intervention, carried out at the request of Benin, strengthened ongoing ECOWAS security efforts aimed at preventing further spread of militancy in the region.

Senate Okays Troops’ Deployment, Backs Tinubu

Senate, yesterday, granted Tinubu’s request to deploy troops to the Republic of Benin. The lawmakers described the move as decisive and constitutionally grounded to prevent the collapse of democratic order in the neighbouring country.

The approval came moments after the senate president, Godswill Akpabio, read Tinubu’s urgent letter, triggering an immediate debate and a vote of affirmation from senators, who said Nigeria could not afford instability next door.

Ruling after the session, Akpabio declared, “Distinguished colleagues, will the senate now confirm the actions of Mr. President, the deployment of the Air Force and troops to the Benin Republic to ensure a peace mission and restore order and sanity in that country? Those in support say ‘aye’… Those against say ‘nay.’ The ayes have it. The approval is hereby confirmed.”

Akpabio praised Tinubu for adhering to constitutional provisions by seeking legislative consent before putting Nigerian troops in harm’s way.

He said, “Let me thank the president for complying with the constitutional requirements.

“We believe he has taken a step in the right direction. This is about saving a neighbouring democracy, protecting Nigerians from the ripple effects, and preventing the influx of thousands of refugees. Injury to one is injury to all.”

He added that senators approved the request “without much discussion” because the threat unfolding in Cotonou demanded unity of purpose. “We congratulate the president for rising to the occasion,” he said.

In his letter, Tinubu informed the upper chamber that the government of the Republic of Benin had come under immediate threat from an “attempted unconstitutional seizure of power” that imperilled its democratic institutions.

Tinubu said the situation required “urgent external intervention,” particularly air support from Nigeria, to prevent anti-democratic forces from toppling the government.

Tinubu wrote, “The government of the Republic of Benin is currently faced with an attempted unconstitutional seizure of power and destabilisation of democratic institutions.

“The distinguished Senate may wish to note the close ties of brotherhood and friendship between Nigeria and Benin, as well as the principles of collective security within ECOWAS.”

The president, who doubles as Chairman of ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, anchored his request on Section 5(5) of the 1999 Constitution, which mandated Senate approval for deployment of the armed forces on foreign missions.

He urged senators to grant “expeditious consideration” so that the armed forces could respond without delay.

Immediately after reading the letter, Akpabio referred the request to the Committee of the Whole for deliberation, saying the matter is “a national priority with far-reaching security implications for Nigeria and the ECOWAS region”.

Senators subsequently reviewed the operational, legal and diplomatic dimensions of the planned deployment before giving the green light.

The senate president promised that the approval document would be transmitted to the president immediately.

The attempted coup in Benin had further heightened concerns within ECOWAS, which had, in the past four years, witnessed multiple military takeovers in Mali, Burkina Faso, Guinea and Niger.

Under Tinubu’s leadership, the regional bloc had repeatedly warned that unconstitutional changes of government posed an existential threat to West Africa’s stability and economic integration.

Only days before the senate received Tinubu’s request, ECOWAS had issued a strongly worded statement condemning developments in Cotonou and urging member states to stand firmly against anti-democratic forces.

Nigeria and Benin share deep security cooperation, especially along their expansive land borders, where joint operations target smuggling, terrorism and transnational crime.

The unfolding crisis presented a major test of that longstanding partnership and Nigeria’s readiness to assert leadership in defending democratic governance in the region.

Lawmakers warned that failing to act quickly could trigger destabilisation that would spill into Nigeria, affecting border communities and potentially overwhelming security agencies with refugee inflows.

Akpabio summed up the chamber’s stance, when he said, “The impact this would have had on Nigeria in terms of the security of our brothers would have been terrible. We have acted swiftly, and in the national interest.”

ECOWAS: Nigeria’s Role in Averting Coup Should be Standard to Safeguard Democracy

ECOWAS applauded Nigeria’s role in quashing the attempted coup in Benin Republic.

Speaking at the opening of the 55th ordinary session of the ECOWAS Mediation and Security Council (MSC) at the ministerial level in Abuja, President of ECOWAS Commission, Dr. Omar Alieu Touray, lamented that with recent insecurity in the sub-region, it would not be out of place to say the region was in a state of emergency.

Extolling the contribution of Nigeria in truncating the overthrow of democratic governance in Benin Republic, Touray asked that Nigeria should be given a standing ovation by the gathering.

He stated the swift intervention of Nigeria’s military within a short period to stop the coupists, insisting that this should be the standard in the region if democracy must be protected.

The ECOWAS commission president said, “Events of the last few weeks have shown the imperative of serious introspection on the future of our democracy and the urgent need to invest in the security of our community.

“Faced with this situation, Excellencies, it is safe to declare that our community is in a state of emergency. For that, the sessions of the mediation and security council should be organised more regularly beyond the two ordinary sessions for the next one year. We must confront these threats with the attention they deserve.

“We must pool our resources to confront the threats of terrorism and banditry, which operate without respect for territorial boundaries.”

He called for constant meetings of the mediation and security council, beyond the two ordinary sessions, for the next one year, calling for an urgent need to confront these threats with the attention they deserve.

Touray said the region must pool its resources to confront the threats of terrorism and banditry, which operated without respect for territorial boundaries, while lamenting the scaring humanitarian figure as a fallout of insecurity within the sub-region.

He stated that the recent data from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees – UNHCR Regional Bureau for West and Central Africa as of October 2025 – showed approximately 7.6 million individuals forcibly displayed and an additional 1,094,742 refugees and asylum seekers.

The ECOWAS president said the different risk levels across the region demanded immediate and concerted action.

He listed the risk factors to include the persistence of military interventions (Guinea-Bissau and Republic of Benin just days ago) and non-compliance with transition norms in Guinea, as the country witnessed a military leader turning into a civilian leader).

He also highlighted other causes of humanitarian challenge to include growing erosion of electoral inclusivity across multiple states; expanding influence of terrorists and armed groups and criminal networks threatening regional stability.

Touray pointed out the need for constant monitoring of political situations within member states.

“This council needs to constantly monitor the political and security situation in our Community, to provide guidance and to enable regional action,” he said.

France Reveals It Provided Logistical Support to Thwart Attempted Benin Coup

France provided intelligence and logistical support to Benin to help thwart Sunday’s coup attempt in the former French colony, officials from the French presidency said yesterday.

French officials said they also shared intelligence with Nigeria, which sent fighter jets and ground troops to its much smaller neighbour at Benin’s request, a Reuters report said.

The unrest was the latest threat to democratic rule in the region, where militaries had in recent years seized power in Benin’s neighbours – Niger and Burkina Faso, as well as Mali, Guinea and, only last month, Guinea-Bissau.

“France provided support in terms of surveillance, observation, and logistics to Benin forces,” a French presidential adviser told reporters. “This support was done as part of regional efforts by ECOWAS,” the adviser said, referring to the regional bloc.

French officials declined to give more detail. French President Emmanuel Macron spoke to the presidents of Nigeria and Benin on the phone over the weekend, his office said.

After retreating from much of its former West African sphere of influence over the past few years following coups in several nations, France had been lying low, preferring to work in support of local governments rather than intervene directly as it did for most of the post-colonial decades.

Northern Benin had suffered repeated jihadist attacks, including major assaults in January and April that killed dozens of soldiers. The coup plotters cited insecurity in the north as a justification for attempting the putsch, the Reuters report added.

Cleric Hails Tinubu for Quick Action

Religious and community leader, Apostle Lawrence Bamilaw of Apostolic Grace Network International, commended for his proactive response to the failed coup in Benin, saying his decisive leadership saved the neighbouring country from what could have escalated into a full-blown crisis.

Bamilaw made the remarks while addressing journalists during this year’s edition of the African Marathon Praise “25,” held at the Correspondents’ Chapel in Osogbo yesterday.

Bamilaw thanked Tinubu for his timely intervention, emphasising that such initiative demonstrated the leadership qualities that Nigerians hoped to see applied domestically, particularly in addressing the country’s persistent insecurity challenges.

He highlighted the pressing need for urgent action against crimes, such as kidnapping, banditry, Boko Haram insurgency, and other violent criminal activities that continued to threaten peace and stability in Nigeria.

Bamilaw stated, “The Nigerian crime situation requires drastic action and strategic measures. The president’s swift response in the Benin Republic shows that with determination and effective leadership, security challenges can be managed.

“This same proactive approach should be applied within our borders to protect citizens from criminal activities and insurgency.”