At the meeting, which was held at the headquarters of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the two ministers assessed the political situation in Benin and outlined coordinated strategies to bolster regional stability.
The Foreign Affairs Ministers of Nigeria and the Republic of Benin, Yusuf Tuggar and Olushegun Adjadi Bakar, met in Abuja on Thursday for talks centred on the recent attempted coup in Benin and rising security concerns across West Africa.
At the meeting, which was held at the headquarters of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the two ministers assessed the political situation in Benin and outlined coordinated strategies to bolster regional stability.
Nigeria’s Tuggar noted that Nigeria’s security challenges are often driven by external factors, stressing the interconnectedness between both nations.
“Much of Nigeria’s insecurity is exogenous,” he said, according to Channels TV.
Tuggar added, “Nigeria and Benin share very close ties, and whatever happens in one country inevitably triggers ripple effects in the other.”
He said this underscores why “a coordinated regional response is no longer optional.”
The ministers reaffirmed the strong working relationship between their countries and agreed that deeper cooperation remains vital to sustaining peace across the region.
Benin’s Bakar said the attempted coup in Benin demonstrated that democratic institutions in Africa remain resilient.
He expressed gratitude to Nigeria and other partners for their swift support in helping to prevent the crisis from escalating.
Bakar also disclosed that Benin requested Nigerian military assistance because the coup plotters had taken positions in “a very delicate zone.”
According to him, what was required was “precise aerial backup to carry out a surgical operation that targeted the enemy’s key positions without risking civilian casualties.”
Bakar further stressed the need for a standby regional force to quickly respond to threats of destabilisation.
He said the synergy between Nigeria and Benin was crucial in restoring order and confirmed that “the situation in Benin is now fully under control.”
A group of military officers appeared on Benin national television on Sunday morning, December 7, claiming to have removed President Patrice Talon and dissolved all state institutions.
The officers, identifying themselves as the Military Committee for Refoundation, were reportedly led by Lieutenant Colonel Pascal Tigri.
According to reports from Beninese media outlet TchadOne, the group attacked President Talon’s residence in the Le Guézo neighborhood and took control of the national television station, where Tigri declared himself “chairman of the military re-establishment committee.”
However, Benin’s Interior Minister, Alassane Seidou, announced that the country’s armed forces had successfully thwarted the attempted coup.
The Benin authorities have also since launched a manhunt for the coup leader, Lieutenant Colonel Pascal Tigri.