Nigeria’s military has sent fighter jets and ground troops to neighboring Benin to support President Patrice Tallon after a group of soldiers attempted to seize control of the small West African country, Bloomberg reported on Monday.
President Bola Tinubu’s office said in a statement late Sunday that the Nigerian Air Force helped remove “coup plotters” from Benin’s state television station and military camp. The newspaper said the soldiers were being sent on an “authorized mission” by the Benin government.
In a separate statement, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), a regional economic bloc, also sent standby troops to Benin, including troops from Ghana, Ivory Coast and Sierra Leone, to support security forces defending the country.
The response of neighboring countries stands in contrast to ECOWAS’ recent inaction in a region that has been hit by coups over the past five years, including in Guinea-Bissau last month.