The presidency has explained that its decision to thwart the military takeover of government in Benin Republic was due to the request for Nigeria’s assistance by the neighbouring country.
TheHintsNews reports that a group of soldiers, identifying themselves as the “Military Committee for Refoundation” (MCR) and led by Lieutenant Colonel Tigri Pascal, had on Sunday morning seized control of the state television station early this morning.
In a broadcast statement, they announced the ousting of President Patrice Talon, the dissolution of all government institutions, the suspension of the constitution, and the closure of national borders.
The soldiers cited widespread corruption and poor governance as reasons for the takeover.Gunfire was reported near President Talon’s residence, and the French embassy confirmed heightened tensions in the area.
However, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga in a statement issued Sunday said Nigeria responded swiftly to the request by the government of Benin Republic to save its 35-year-old democracy from coup plotters who struck at dawn on Sunday.
President Bola Tinubu commended the gallantry of Nigeria’s military after normalcy was returned to the West African country.
Onanuga noted: “Acting on two separate requests from the Government of Benin, President Tinubu first ordered Nigerian Air Force fighter jets to enter the country and take over the airspace to help dislodge the coup plotters from the National TV and a military camp where they had regrouped.
“The Republic of Benin, through its Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in a Note Verbal, requested immediate Nigerian air support “in view of the urgency and seriousness of the situation and to safeguard the constitutional order, protect national institutions and ensure the security of the population.”
“In the second request, the authorities in Benin requested the deployment of Nigerian Air Force assets within Beninoise airspace for surveillance and rapid intervention operations under Benin-led coordination.
“The Benin government also requested Nigerian ground forces, “strictly for missions approved by the Beninese Command authority in support of the protection of constitutional institutions and the containment of armed Groups.”
” Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede, said all the requests have been fulfilled, with Nigerian ground forces now in Benin.
“Ours is to comply with the order of the Commander-in-Chief of our armed forces, President Tinubu,” he said.
“Constitutional order was upended in the Republic of Benin, Nigeria’s neighbour, when some soldiers led by Colonel Pascal Tigri announced a coup on Sunday morning. The putschists seized the National TV and claimed they had toppled President Patrice Talon and suspended all democratic institutions.”
Onanuga explained that it took some hours before the government’s loyal forces, assisted by Nigeria, took control and flushed out the coup plotters from the National TV.
In his remarks after the restoration of the democratic and constitutional order, President Tinubu saluted the Nigerian armed forces for standing firm as a protector and defender of democracy.
“Today, the Nigerian armed forces stood gallantly as a defender and protector 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,” he noted.