- NAF jets carried out strategic airstrikes on fleeing coup plotters and their equipments as they attempted to escape Cotonou in armoured vehicles.
Details have emerged on how Nigeria played a major role to restore democratic order in neighbouring Benin Republic following the attempted coup by a group of soldiers who appeared on Benin’s state television to announce dissolution of the government on Sunday morning.
Already, Presidential Spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, in a statement, said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has commended the gallantry of Nigeria’s military “for responding swiftly to the request by the Government of Benin Republic to save its 35-year-old democracy from coup plotters who struck at dawn today.
“Acting on two separate requests from the Government of Benin, President Tinubu first ordered Nigerian Air Force fighter jets to enter the country and take over the airspace to help dislodge the coup plotters from the National TV and a military camp where they had regrouped.
“The Republic of Benin, through its Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in a Note Verbal, requested immediate Nigerian air support “in view of the urgency and seriousness of the situation and to safeguard the constitutional order, protect national institutions and ensure the security of the population.”
“In the second request, the authorities in Benin requested the deployment of Nigerian Air Force assets within Beninoise airspace for surveillance and rapid intervention operations under Benin-led coordination.
“The Benin government also requested Nigerian ground forces, “strictly for missions approved by the Beninese Command authority in support of the protection of constitutional institutions and the containment of armed Groups.”
“Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede, said all the requests have been fulfilled, with Nigerian ground forces now in Benin. “Ours is to comply with the order of the Commander-in-Chief of our armed forces, President Tinubu,” he said.
“Constitutional order was upended in the Republic of Benin, Nigeria’s neighbour, when some soldiers led by Colonel Pascal Tigri announced a coup on Sunday morning. The putschists seized the National TV and claimed they had toppled President Patrice Talon and suspended all democratic institutions.
“It took some hours before the government’s loyal forces, assisted by Nigeria, took control and flushed out the coup plotters from the National TV.”
In his remarks after the restoration of the democratic and constitutional order, President Tinubu saluted the Nigerian armed forces for standing firm as a protector and defender of democracy.
“Today, the Nigerian armed forces stood gallantly as a defender and protector of constitutional order in the Republic of Benin on the invitation of the government. Our armed forces acted within the ambit of the ECOWAS Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance. They have helped stabilise a neighbouring country and have made us proud of their commitment to sustaining our democratic values and ideals since 1999. Nigeria stands firmly with the government and people of the Republic of Benin.”
The mutineers had seized the National TV but failed to enter President Patrice Talon’s residence, which was under heavy military protection. They however declared the removal of President Talon, who has led the country since 2016, along with the suspension of all state institutions.
Identifying themselves as members of the “Military Committee for Refoundation” (CMR), they said the committee had met and resolved that “Mr Patrice Talon is removed from office as president of the republic”.
The soldiers, who announced a suspension of the constitution and closure of all land borders and the country’s airspace, said Lieutenant-Colonel Tigri Pascal will be leading a military transition council.
But in support of the mission, Nigerian Air Force (NAF) jets carried out strategic airstrikes on fleeing elements of the foiled military coup, targeting the coup plotters and their equipments as they attempted to escape Cotonou in armoured vehicles.
Sources told Zagazola Makama that the airstrikes, executed over the past 30 minutes, involved multiple coordinated strikes carried out by Nigerian fighter jets operating within Beninese airspace.
“The operation was meticulously planned and executed. Our objectives were clear: neutralize fleeing hostile elements, prevent regrouping, and restore stability in coordination with regional partners,” the sources stated.
Eyewitnesses reported multiple explosions in strategic locations across Cotonou, confirming the effectiveness of the strikes. The sources said that the strikes successfully immobilized the armoured vehicles and disrupted escape routes used by the coup plotters and killing several of them.
