President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has formally asked the Senate to approve the deployment of Nigerian troops to the Republic of Benin following last week’s attempted coup in the neighbouring country.
In a letter transmitted to the upper chamber, President Tinubu sought authorisation to deploy both air and ground forces in response to an urgent request from the Beninese government.
Benin had issued a Note Verbal appealing to Nigeria for immediate military assistance—specifically air support and ground troops to operate strictly under Benin’s command—to defend constitutional institutions and protect civilians.
The plea followed a dramatic but short-lived coup attempt in which mutinous soldiers seized the state television station and briefly announced that the government had been overthrown.
Acting on Benin’s request, President Tinubu ordered the Nigerian Air Force to secure Benin’s airspace while dispatching ground forces to support loyal security elements. The swift intervention reportedly helped repel the coup, reclaim the national broadcaster, and restore civilian authority.
Tinubu commended the Nigerian military for what he described as “gallantry” and stressed that Nigeria’s intervention was crucial to stabilising a fellow West African democracy.
However, the deployment has triggered constitutional debates at home. Several legal experts argue that Section 5 of the 1999 Constitution requires the President to obtain Senate approval before sending troops abroad—except in narrowly defined emergency situations. Some critics have gone as far as describing the move as potentially impeachable.
A senior Senate source, meanwhile, noted that the Constitution actually grants the National Assembly up to 14 days to approve or reject foreign military deployments in emergency scenarios, a provision often overlooked in public discussions.
With the President’s letter now before the Senate, attention has shifted to how quickly lawmakers will act—and what this means for Nigeria’s constitutional boundaries on military engagement abroad.