The Senate has approved President Bola Tinubu’s request to deploy Nigerian troops to the Republic of Benin on a peacekeeping mission following a failed coup attempt in the neighbouring country.
The approval was granted on Tuesday after Senate President Godswill Akpabio read the President’s letter seeking consent for the military deployment, in line with Section 5(5) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended). The Senate immediately dissolved into the Committee of the Whole to consider the request and returned to plenary within minutes to give its endorsement.
President Tinubu explained in his letter that the deployment followed an urgent appeal from the Government of Benin Republic for air support after an attempted unconstitutional takeover aimed at destabilising democratic institutions. He noted that Nigeria’s intervention was necessary due to the long-standing ties of friendship, regional security obligations, and principles upheld within ECOWAS.
The President said the mission became imperative “following the need for peacekeeping as a sister country,” adding that Nigeria was duty-bound to support Benin in the face of the attempted coup.
The request, titled “Deployment of Nigerian Troops to the Republic of Benin for Peace Mission,” was submitted after consultation with the National Defence Council.
The move comes after soldiers loyal to Lt. Col. Pascal Tigri briefly seized Benin’s state television station on Sunday, announcing the overthrow of President Patrice Talon. The uprising was quickly suppressed with the intervention of fighter jets and troops deployed with Nigeria’s support.
