Nigeria’s deployment of fighter jets into the Benin Republic after Sunday’s failed coup attempt has raised questions about the legality of President Bola Tinubu’s actions. The Presidency dismissed claims that Nigeria acted under French pressure, insisting the operation followed two urgent requests from Benin authorities. According to spokesperson Bayo Onanuga, “President Tinubu ordered Nigerian Air Force fighter jets to enter the country and take over the airspace to help dislodge the coup plotters.”
The Presidency explained that Benin’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs sought swift air support “to safeguard constitutional order and ensure the security of the population.” A second request, according to the statement, asked for Nigerian Air Force assets for “surveillance and rapid intervention operations under Benin-led coordination.” Benin also asked for limited ground forces “strictly for missions approved by the Beninese Command authority” as authorities moved to halt the attempted takeover.
Under international law, foreign military deployment is permitted under specific conditions, including self-defence, UN Security Council authorisation, or intervention by invitation. ECOWAS’ Lomé Protocol also allows member states to assist one another in cases such as coups. Since Benin formally invited Nigeria’s support, the operation aligns with the intervention-by-invitation framework, making it lawful under international norms and regional agreements, even as debates continue over its moral justification.