Tinubu Deploys Nigerian Jets, Troops to Foil Benin Coup Attempt

By Sub Zero ✔

ABUJA/COTONOU, Dec 8, 2025 – Nigerian President Bola Tinubu confirmed the deployment of fighter jets and ground troops to neighboring Benin on Sunday after a group of mutinying soldiers attempted a coup against President Patrice Talon.

In a statement, Tinubu’s office said the intervention came after two formal requests from Benin, including a call for “immediate Nigerian air support.” Nigerian jets first entered Benin to “take over the airspace and dislodge coup plotters from the national television station and a military camp,” followed by ground troops to help protect constitutional institutions and contain armed groups.

“Our troops helped stabilise a neighbouring country,” Tinubu said, praising the military’s prompt action.

President Talon addressed the nation shortly after, stating that loyalist forces had successfully recaptured seized positions and neutralized the mutineers.

“This treachery will not go unpunished,” Talon said, adding that attention is now on victims of the attempted coup and those temporarily detained by the fleeing soldiers.

Regional Context

While coups have destabilized neighboring countries such as Niger, Burkina Faso, Mali, Guinea, and Guinea-Bissau, Benin had remained relatively stable since its last successful coup in 1972. A government spokesperson confirmed that 14 soldiers have been arrested in connection with the failed attempt, though it remains unclear whether coup leader Lieutenant Colonel Pascal Tigri was among them.

ECOWAS and the African Union condemned the coup, with ECOWAS deploying a standby force from Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, and Ghana to support the Beninese government and military in preserving constitutional order.

The unrest comes as Benin prepares for a presidential election in April, expected to mark the end of Talon’s tenure. Last month, the country adopted a new constitution creating a Senate and extending the presidential term from five to seven years, moves critics have described as a power grab. Opposition candidates have faced legal challenges, with some disqualified over insufficient legislative backing.

Ibrahim Yahaya Ibrahim, deputy director of the Sahel Project at the International Crisis Group, said the coup reflects broader regional tensions where governments have been slow to respect democratic norms.

“President Talon has accepted to step down, but opposition candidates face obstacles, reflecting frustrations seen across several West African countries,” he said, citing recent developments in Côte d’Ivoire and Cameroon.

Despite the violence in Cotonou, residents reported that the city has remained relatively calm since early Sunday afternoon, as security forces consolidate control over previously contested areas.

Sub Zero ✔

Godwin Okafor is the Publisher & CEO of Naija247news Media Group LLC, an independent investigative news platform delivering accurate, data-driven reporting on Nigerian and global politics, economy, finance, and business. Founded in October 2010, Naija247news specializes in developmental journalism, providing timely insights and analysis to readers across Nigeria and the diaspora.

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