DECISIVE ACTION, STRATEGIC FORESIGHT: BURATAI PRAISES TINUBU’S INTERVENTION IN BENIN

DECISIVE ACTION, STRATEGIC FORESIGHT: BURATAI PRAISES TINUBU’S INTERVENTION IN BENIN

Former Chief of Army Staff and Nigeria’s Ambassador to the Benin Republic, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai (rtd.), has commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the swift military intervention that quashed the attempted coup in the Republic of Benin, describing the move as a “bold demonstration of strategic foresight and responsible regional leadership.”

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Buratai noted that Nigeria’s rapid deployment of Air Force jets and ground forces—conducted at the formal request of the Beninese government—helped protect a democratic institution and prevent a potentially destabilizing crisis from engulfing West Africa.

According to him, critics who compare Nigeria’s successful intervention in Cotonou to ongoing internal security challenges fail to recognize the distinct nature of both threats.

He explained that the attempted coup was “a clear, conventional military threat,” involving renegade soldiers occupying fixed locations such as a military camp and national television station. He added that such operations play directly to the strengths of the Nigerian Armed Forces, known for their superior air power, coordinated ground assaults, and disciplined command structures.

“This mission showcased Nigeria’s ability to act decisively and effectively when faced with a defined, conventional enemy,” Buratai said. “It is a performance worthy of national pride.”

In contrast, he described the internal fight against banditry, terrorism, and insurgency as a far more complex and asymmetric conflict. Unlike an organized set of soldiers in a confined zone, these groups operate as fluid networks without fixed bases, often blending into civilian populations and leveraging local grievances for survival.

He stressed that defeating them requires a long-term blend of intelligence operations, policing, socio-economic reforms, and community engagement, making it an “inherently slow, methodical, and multidimensional effort”—nothing like the rapid, high-impact strikes seen in Benin.

“Praising what happened in Cotonou does not undermine our efforts at home,” he emphasized. “They are two entirely different battles demanding different strategies, timelines, and tools.”

Buratai further described the intervention as a preventative security masterstroke, arguing that a successful coup in Nigeria’s immediate neighbour would have created a dangerous corridor for insurgents, criminals, and arms traffickers—directly threatening Nigeria’s stability.

“President Tinubu did not abandon internal challenges to defend a neighbour,” Buratai said. “He prevented the fire in the next compound from leaping into our own. This was not charity; it was enlightened self-interest.”

He added that Nigeria’s success in Benin demonstrates the country’s capacity for decisive military action when confronting a clear threat. He urged that the same level of resolve should now be applied to the long-term mission of restoring full security across Nigeria.

DECISIVE ACTION, STRATEGIC FORESIGHT: BURATAI PRAISES TINUBU’S INTERVENTION IN BENIN