On 7 December 2025, a group of soldiers in Benin attempted a mutiny against the government of President Patrice Talon. They briefly seized control of strategic locations, including the national television station and a military camp. The rebels — calling themselves the Military Committee for Refoundation (CMR) — declared a takeover, but loyalist troops moved quickly to retake control.
Responding to urgent appeals from Benin’s government, Nigeria intervened militarily. Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu authorised deployment of the Nigerian Armed Forces (NAF). Fighter jets entered Beninese airspace to “take over the airspace” and dislodge the mutineers from the national TV station and military camp. Ground troops were also deployed under coordination with Beninese authorities to reinforce domestic forces.
Within hours, the combined intervention — Benin’s loyal forces supported by Nigeria’s air and ground assets — successfully suppressed the coup attempt. The mutineers were forced to retreat; key seized locations were recaptured. By afternoon the situation was deemed under control, with the forces withdrawing and normalcy gradually restored.
President Tinubu publicly commended the Nigerian military for its prompt action. According to a statement from his office, the intervention was carried out at the invitation of Benin’s government and aligned with the principles of the regional bloc ECOWAS — specifically its Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance. Tinubu emphasised that Nigeria acted to defend constitutional order, preserve stability, and support a neighbouring brotherly nation.
For Nigeria, the intervention marks its first overseas military operation of this kind in nearly a decade — a shift that underlines its growing role as a security guarantor in West Africa. Analysts note that the risk of an unfriendly, potentially unstable military regime taking over in Benin was deemed too great: not only for Benin’s democracy, but also for regional stability and Nigeria’s own national security.
The successful foiling of the coup with Nigerian aid sends a strong signal — to would-be coup-plotters across the region — that unconstitutional seizures of power may no longer be tolerated. It also reinforces notions of solidarity among ECOWAS members. That said, the operation may raise new questions about foreign military intervention, sovereignty, and the long-term impact on the norms governing democratic governance in West Africa.
