Airstrikes by the Nigerian Air Force help foil mutiny in Cotonou as regional forces secure Benin’s constitutional order.
The Nigerian Air Force has struck multiple targets in neighbouring Benin Republic as part of a coordinated counter-coup operation, according to sources in the presidency citing AFP. The intervention came in response to a mutiny by security forces who had briefly seized control of national institutions in Cotonou early Sunday.
Fighter jets and ground troops were mobilised at the request of the Benin government under a Note Verbal, asking for immediate assistance to protect constitutional institutions, safeguard civilians, and restore order. The strikes targeted convoys of fleeing coup plotters and hostile forces regrouping at a military camp and national television station.
By Sunday afternoon, the mutiny had been crushed, key installations resecured, and order restored. Police arrests have been made, and loyalist forces retook control of government buildings.
Responding to the successful intervention, Bola Ahmed Tinubu commended the military’s swift action, describing it as a “gallant defence of democracy.” He reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to regional stability and constitutional rule in West Africa.
Regional bodies also weighed in: the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the African Union (AU) condemned the coup attempt, and a standby force from member states, including Nigeria, has been deployed to support the Benin government and maintain peace.
As the West African nation breathes a sigh of relief, the operation underscores Nigeria’s readiness to defend democratic norms beyond its borders reinforcing shared security commitments in an increasingly volatile region.
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