Nigeria has deployed troops and fighter jets to Benin to help the country’s government suppress a failed coup attempt carried out by a group of soldiers who announced the dissolution of state institutions on national television.

Nigeria’s President Bola Ahmed Tinubu authorized the deployment after Benin formally requested urgent support to protect its constitutional order and ensure public security. According to the Nigerian presidency, the request included immediate air assistance, deployment of Nigerian Air Force units into Benin’s airspace, and the dispatch of land forces.

Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Olufemi Oluyede, confirmed that all requests from Benin had been fulfilled. “With Nigeria’s support, loyal government forces regained control of the national television station within hours and cleared it of coup plotters,” the presidency said.

Benin’s Interior and Public Security Minister Alassane Seidou earlier stated that security forces had foiled an attempt “aimed at destabilizing the state and its institutions.” A group of soldiers had appeared on Benin’s state broadcaster, Benin TV, claiming to remove President Patrice Talon from office and dissolve governmental bodies. The group called itself the Military Committee for Refoundation and named Lt. Col. Pascal Tigri as its leader.

Following the government’s response, President Talon announced that the situation was “totally under control” and warned that “this treachery will not go unpunished.”

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) also ordered the deployment of elements of its standby force, consisting of troops from Nigeria, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire and Sierra Leone, to support Benin’s Republican Army and safeguard the country’s territorial integrity.

According to Benin government spokesperson Wilfried Léandre Houngbedji, at least 14 individuals linked to the coup attempt were detained on Sunday. The whereabouts of Lt. Col. Tigri remain unclear.

The coup attempt occurred as Benin prepares for its April presidential election, which will mark the end of President Talon’s term. While Talon is credited with economic reforms, the country has recently faced an increase in attacks by armed groups operating in the Sahel region.

The thwarted coup adds to the wave of military takeovers and attempted coups that have shaken West Africa in recent years, including in Niger, Burkina Faso, Mali, Guinea and Guinea-Bissau. (ILKHA)