Tinubu Asks Senate to Approve Troop Deployment to Benin After Failed Coup

Nigeria’s Senate on Tuesday received a formal request from President Bola Tinubu seeking approval to deploy troops to the Republic of Benin following a failed coup attempt against President Patrice Talon. The appeal comes after a small group of soldiers briefly took over a television station in Cotonou before security forces regained control.

The letter, read during plenary by Senate President Godswill Akpabio and broadcast live on National Assembly TV, outlined Nigeria’s readiness to support its neighbour after Benin’s government called for immediate military assistance, particularly air support. Tinubu noted that the attempted power grab posed a direct threat to democratic institutions in the country and required swift regional intervention.

He referenced constitutional provisions and consultations with the National Defence Council, stressing Nigeria’s longstanding ties with Benin and commitments under ECOWAS to uphold collective security. Tinubu urged senators to expedite approval, describing the deployment as both a duty and a response to an urgent request from a friendly nation.

Further updates are expected as the Senate deliberates on the proposal.