President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has asked the Senate to approve the deployment of Nigerian troops to the Republic of Benin after the country’s government requested urgent military assistance to suppress a failed coup attempt.
In a formal letter read on the Senate floor, Tinubu sought authorisation to send both air and ground forces to support Benin’s security institutions. His request follows a dramatic incident in Cotonou, where a faction of the Beninese military briefly seized the state broadcaster and announced that President Patrice Talon had been removed from office.
Prior to the intervention, Benin transmitted a Note Verbal asking Nigeria to provide immediate air support and to deploy ground personnel under Benin’s operational command to protect key government structures and civilians.
Responding to the appeal, the Nigerian Air Force quickly secured Benin’s airspace, while Nigerian troops were sent across the border to assist loyalist forces. The mutiny was eventually quelled, the national broadcaster was recovered, and order restored.
Tinubu praised the military for what he described as “gallant and decisive action,” saying Nigeria’s swift response helped prevent instability in a neighbouring state.
However, the deployment has sparked constitutional questions at home. Several legal analysts argue that Section 5 of the 1999 Constitution requires the President to obtain Senate approval before sending troops outside Nigeria, except under narrowly defined emergency situations.
Some critics have suggested that authorising foreign military action without prior legislative consent could amount to a gross violation of the Constitution.
A senior Senate source, however, noted that Nigeria’s laws allow the National Assembly up to 14 days to review and ratify such deployments, an aspect often overlooked. The chamber is expected to debate the president’s request in the coming days.
