Tinubu Requests Senate Approval to Send Nigerian Troops to Benin Republic

The Senate has received a request from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu seeking its approval for the deployment of Nigerian troops to the Benin Republic.

This was disclosed on Tuesday in a letter read by Senate President Godswill Akpabio during plenary

Tinubu stated that the deployment is for a peace mission in response to the ongoing attempted coup in Benin.

The President explained that the deployment is to provide support in the country as requested by President Patrice Talon, following the recent failed coup attempt.

The deployment is in line with the protocol of the regional bloc, the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS.

Tinubu said it was also in tandem with section 30 sub 5 of Nigeria’s constitution, in consultation with the Nigerian Defence Council.

The Senate referred the request to the committee of the whole for immediate consideration.

Nigeria had earlier provided air intervention following the unconstitutional breach in the Benin Republic.

The presidency had earlier described Nigeria’s response to the attempted coup as a demonstration of President Bola Tinubu’s leadership in promoting peace and constitutional order across West Africa.

Troops were deployed to Benin after some soldiers operating under the “Military Committee for Refoundation,” led by Lt. Col. Pascal Tigri, briefly seized the state television station in Cotonou on Sunday, announcing the overthrow of President Patrice Talon’s administration.

However, the coup was thwarted by the intervention of fighter jets and troops deployed in the neighbouring country by President Tinubu.