Nigeria has officially acknowledged that its armed forces were deployed to the Republic of Benin on Sunday to help quell an attempted military takeover targeting President Patrice Talon.

The confirmation came in a late-night statement from the presidency, noting that the intervention followed two formal requests from Beninese authorities urgently seeking assistance to restore constitutional order.

According to the statement, the first communication from Benin requested immediate Nigerian air support after soldiers seized control of the national television station and regrouped at a nearby military camp. Nigeria subsequently deployed fighter jets to secure Benin’s airspace and help dislodge the coup plotters.

Benin’s second request sought additional aerial surveillance and rapid-response capabilities, alongside limited ground support strictly under Beninese command.

President Bola Tinubu commended the swift response of Nigerian forces, describing their actions as a defense of democratic governance in line with regional commitments. He praised the military for acting professionally and reaffirmed Nigeria’s solidarity with the people of Benin.

Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede, also confirmed that all support requested by Benin—including the deployment of ground troops—had been fully executed.

The attempted coup was led by Colonel Pascal Tigri, whose group seized the state broadcaster and announced the suspension of democratic institutions. Loyalist forces, assisted by Nigerian support, regained control within hours and cleared the insurgents from the broadcast facility.

In addition, the regional bloc ECOWAS deployed its standby force to Benin to prevent further escalation, with personnel drawn from Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Côte d’Ivoire, and Ghana. The incident adds Benin to the growing list of West African nations confronted with attempted or successful military takeovers in recent years.