The inability of Benin Republic coup plotters to successfully displace civil rule has been attributed to President Bola Tinubu’s intervention.
Recall that on Sunday a group of soldiers led by Lieutenant Colonel Pascal Tigri announced their overthrow of Beninese president Patrice Talon on national television after attacking Talon’s residence in Cotonou.
Consequently soldiers loyal to Talon fought back and ensure the President stayed put.
The victory over the coupists has been attributed partly to Tinubu.
Onanuga said at the request of the Government of Benin, President Tinubu sent Nigerian Air Force fighter jets to take control of Benin’s airspace and assist in flushing out the mutineers from strategic locations, including the national broadcaster and a military camp.
He narrated that the combined efforts of loyalist forces in Benin, and that of Nigerian troops and air assets, thwarted the coup, and dislodged soldiers who seized the country’s national television station early Sunday.
“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 statement read.
