By Muhammad Mamman
Nigeria is set to deploy troops to the Republic of Benin after the Senate approved President Bola Tinubu’s request for military assistance to the neighbouring country.
The approval, granted during Thursday’s plenary session, follows Tinubu’s formal communication to the upper chamber seeking authorisation for the Nigerian Armed Forces to support Benin in tackling rising security threats along shared border corridors.
Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele, who presented the request, explained that the deployment is in line with existing bilateral defence agreements between both countries and aims to strengthen regional security cooperation under the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
According to the letter from the President, the intervention will focus on curbing cross-border terrorism, armed banditry and other transnational crimes that continue to destabilise communities on both sides of the border. Tinubu emphasised that the mission is crucial to safeguarding Nigeria’s own security interests, given the porous nature of the frontier with Benin.
Senate Minority Leader Abba Moro raised questions regarding operational logistics and the duration of the mission but noted that regional stability remained a shared priority. After deliberations, the Senate voted overwhelmingly in favour of granting the President’s request.
The deployment is expected to be carried out by specialised units of the Nigerian Army in coordination with Beninese security forces.
Nigeria has in recent years intensified collaboration with neighbouring countries—including Niger, Chad and Cameroon—to combat terrorism, arms trafficking and the movement of extremist groups across West Africa.
Formal details of the deployment timeline and troop strength are expected to be released by the Defence Headquarters in the coming days.
