The Senate has approved President Bola Tinubu’s request to deploy Nigerian troops to the Republic of Benin to support efforts to restore peace and stability following last weekend’s attempted coup in the neighbouring country.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio announced the approval during plenary on Tuesday after lawmakers considered the request in the Committee of the Whole, in accordance with Section 5, Part II of the 1999 Constitution.
The Senators unanimously voted in favour of the deployment, giving full legislative backing to the regional peace intervention.
Akpabio described the decision as a necessary step, stressing that instability in any West African nation could endanger the entire region.
“An injury to one is an injury to all,” he said, highlighting Nigeria’s responsibility to support its Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) partners.
President Tinubu had earlier written to the National Assembly seeking consent for the deployment of Nigerian forces to assist in stabilizing the Republic of Benin.