NAF Confirms Air Operations in Benin, Says Deployment Followed ECOWAS Protocols

NAF Confirms Air Operations in Benin, Says Deployment Followed ECOWAS Protocols

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has clarified its involvement in the regional response to the failed coup attempt in the Benin Republic, affirming that all operations were carried out strictly under ECOWAS security protocols.

In a statement issued late Sunday, NAF’s Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, said the deployment of Nigerian air assets into Beninese airspace was authorised under the mandate of the ECOWAS Standby Force, in line with Nigeria’s regional security commitments.

Ejodame noted that the mission was executed in coordination with ECOWAS and the Benin authorities, stressing that it adhered to international standards and regional directives.

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Tension had escalated in Cotonou after gunfire erupted near the residence of President Patrice Talon, with armoured vehicles spotted around the presidential palace. A group calling itself the Military Committee for Refoundation claimed it had removed the president and dissolved state institutions.

The Beninese Presidency, however, debunked the claim, confirming that President Talon was safe and that loyalist forces were working to restore order.

Benin’s Interior Minister, Alassane Seidou, later appeared on national television to announce that the mutiny had been contained and that government control had been fully restored.

The NAF reiterated that its actions formed part of Nigeria’s broader responsibility to maintain regional peace and stability in West Africa.

NAF Confirms Air Operations in Benin, Says Deployment Followed ECOWAS Protocols