Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede, has said the Armed Forces intervened in the Benin Republic coup scare strictly on the orders of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Oluyede’s comment comes after Nigerian ground troops and air assets assisted loyalist forces in Benin to repel mutinous soldiers who briefly took over the national broadcaster on Sunday and announced the suspension of democratic institutions.
According to the Presidency, the Government of Benin sent two formal requests for support after the coup plotters, led by Col. Pascal Tigri, attempted to topple President Patrice Talon.
Acting on the request, President Tinubu—who also doubles as ECOWAS chairman—directed the Nigerian Air Force to assume control of Benin’s airspace and provide operational backing to flush out the renegade troops. Surveillance aircraft and ground personnel were deployed under mission guidelines approved by Benin’s military command.
Confirming the execution, General Oluyede said the military responded immediately once the directive came from the Commander-in-Chief.
“We carried out President Tinubu’s orders. Our responsibility is to act when instructed, and we did so without delay,” he said.
The Presidency said the intervention aligned with ECOWAS’ stance against unconstitutional seizures of power and its commitment to protecting democratic stability in the region.
Benin’s government later announced that the attempted coup had been put down and full control restored.
