Breaking: Benin President Reportedly Called Tinubu For Help During Attempted Coup — Musa Reveals

Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, Musa explained that Nigeria’s swift intervention came after Benin directly requested urgent assistance.

When asked whether the President of Benin personally reached out to President Bola Tinubu, Musa confirmed that the appeal was made directly.

“Yes, yes, of course. For help, definitely,” he said.

Clarifying further, Musa stated that it was indeed a direct phone call, stressing that no action could have been taken without the President’s approval.

“It was a direct call. There was no way we could have acted without the President’s consent. So he called Mr President directly.

“Mr President gave the directive, we immediately alerted the troops, and we moved in quickly. Within 12 hours, we had deployed and secured the area,” he explained.

The defence minister noted that the coup attempt took place on a Sunday morning and was brought under control before the day ended.

“Just a few weeks ago, we had to step in to stop the coup in Benin Republic. It happened on a Sunday morning. I was on my way to church when the matter came up.

“We responded, confronted it, and by evening, the entire area was secured. Our troops are still there, though we were already preparing to withdraw them,” he said.

Musa added that the rapid operation demonstrated Nigeria’s improving military strength and its dedication to ensuring peace and stability across the region.

“This shows the level of capability we have and what we can do. We must continue to strengthen our capacity to protect our region, our country, and Africa as a whole,” he stated.

The attempted overthrow, which reportedly occurred on December 7, 2025, was brief and was later confirmed by Beninese authorities to have been successfully suppressed.