Jets Over Cotonou: Nigeria Intervenes Militarily in Benin to Foil Coup Attempt, Backs ECOWAS Order
Nigeria has launched a coordinated military intervention in the Republic of Benin following an attempted coup early Sunday morning, in what is now one of the region's most significant escalations in recent years.
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| Image Source: Africa Fact Zone |
The Nigerian government confirmed that its air assets had entered Benin’s airspace to assist in stabilising key sites targeted by coup plotters.
President Tinubu, in a public statement, said the Nigerian military acted under the framework of the ECOWAS Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance, and that their role was to “help stabilise a neighbouring country” and defend constitutional order.
The crisis unfolded after a group of soldiers appeared on state television early Sunday declaring the dissolution of the government, naming themselves the Military Committee for Refoundation, and installing Lt. Col. Pascal Tigri as interim leader.
State institutions were seized, and the country's constitution was suspended. Benin's national broadcaster and military installations were among the key targets.
Benin's Interior Minister Alassane Seidou called it a "mutiny aimed at destabilising the state," while President Talon later announced that the situation was “totally under control” after loyalist forces acted swiftly to neutralise the uprising. Talon vowed that the “treachery will not go unpunished.”
ECOWAS responded by authorising immediate deployment of its standby force, drawing personnel from Nigeria, Ghana, Ivory Coast, and Sierra Leone.
The bloc said the mission is to “preserve constitutional order and territorial integrity” in Benin.
The attempted coup comes amid a volatile West African landscape, where military takeovers have become increasingly frequent, including in Niger, Mali, Guinea, Burkina Faso, and most recently Guinea-Bissau.
However, Benin — until now — had been seen as a relative outlier, with its last successful coup taking place in 1972.
Nigerian military officials said 70% of civilians in affected border towns had been evacuated, and reported that one civilian died during the process due to a pre-existing medical condition.
The attempted coup is also likely to trigger diplomatic fallout in the region, with observers warning of heightened instability ahead of Benin’s scheduled presidential elections in April 2026, which were to mark the end of President Talon’s second term.
President Tinubu reaffirmed Nigeria’s solidarity with Benin’s civilian government and signalled that the region would “stand firm against any reversal of democratic gains.”