What to know as Nigeria pushes forward on military deployment to Benin Republic

Amid limited manpower and ongoing internal security challenges, Nigeria is moving ahead with plans to deploy troops to Benin Republic as President Bola Tinubu got Senate’s approval for the operation.

Despite growing concerns over the country’s already overstretched armed forces, security experts warn that while instability in Benin poses a direct threat to Nigeria’s borders, the deployment must align with national security priorities.

Kabiru Adamu, Managing Director of Beacon Consulting, said the deployment aligns with Nigeria’s foreign policy objectives and the broader need to stabilise the West African sub-region, where military takeovers have surged in recent years.

Read also: Coup: Senate confirms Tinubu’s request to deploy Nigerian troops to Benin Republic

“It is the right thing to do. If you look at our position in Africa and the number of West African countries still under military rule, and the fact that our borders are porous, whenever military dictatorship happens, it affects our internal security.

“So anything Nigeria can do to support and strengthen democracy in those countries is absolutely important”, he stated.

Adamu, however, acknowledged that Nigeria currently lacks sufficient military manpower due to widespread deployments across all 36 states.

“Unfortunately, no, we don’t have enough personnel. The military is spread across different states, and there is no state today where the military does not have a presence. So yes, we are stretched”, he stated.

He urged the National Assembly to thoroughly assess whether the deployment aligns with Nigeria’s national security strategy before granting approval.

“The National Assembly should ask the critical question: Will an intervention in Benin help us meet our national security imperatives? If yes, we should go ahead. If no, then we should not deploy,” he said.

Adamu added that the situation underscores the urgent need to strengthen the Nigeria Police Force so that the military can return fully to its core role of external defence.

BusinessDay reports that President Tinubu recently declared a nationwide security emergency in response to escalating threats across the country. The announcement underscores the administration’s commitment to strengthening national security and addressing persistent challenges facing law enforcement agencies.

As part of the emergency measures, Tinubu mandated the immediate recruitment of 50,000 additional soldiers and 30,000 police officers. The move aims to bolster the capacity of the military and police forces, ensuring they are adequately staffed to respond to security threats and maintain public safety.

In a related directive, the President ordered the withdrawal of police personnel assigned to VIP protection duties. This measure is intended to redeploy officers to critical security operations in communities and areas facing heightened risks.

Read also: Security Emergency: Army suspends exit of officers to boost manpower

Furthermore, Tinubu temporarily halted the exit of military personnel, citing a critical shortage of manpower across key formations. The combination of recruitment, redeployment, and retention measures reflects a comprehensive strategy to address immediate security gaps while strengthening the country’s overall defence infrastructure.

Confirming the development, Michael Onoja, Director of Defence Media Operations, said the Presidency had already issued a formal statement, noting that the military was awaiting Senate approval as required by law.

When asked whether the military currently has enough personnel for the operation, Onoja said numbers are not the sole determinant of military action.

“Military operations are not tied to numbers. They are tied to what we want to do,” he said.

Responding to concerns about overstretching the armed forces amid persistent security crises at home, the defence spokesperson was emphatic.

“There is no ambiguity about it. The President has given the directive, and it will be obeyed,” he said.

The planned deployment follows a weeks-long political crisis in Benin Republic, where an attempted military takeover was recently reported.

Alpha Jackden, an Abuja-based public affairs analyst and media consultant, backed Nigeria’s proposed deployment of troops to the Republic of Benin, describing it as a necessary step to preserve regional stability and prevent the resurgence of military rule across West Africa.

Jackden argued that as the region’s largest political and economic power, Nigeria cannot shy away from interventions that aim to avert conflict, maintain peace or prevent humanitarian spillover into its territory.

Responding to concerns about Nigeria’s overstretched military and rising domestic security threats, Jackden insisted that peacekeeping obligations cannot wait for “perfect conditions.”

“There’s never a wrong time to maintain peace. Conflicts today are asymmetric, while you’re settling one here, another is breaking out elsewhere.

“So there is really never a right or wrong time. If sending troops to Benin Republic will stem any breakdown of law and order, then it is a good move”, he said.

Jackden noted that past crises in Liberia and Sierra Leone provide clear evidence that instability in neighbouring countries can trigger massive displacement into Nigeria.

“When conflicts broke out in Sierra Leone and Liberia, thousands spilled into Nigeria. If there is chaos in Benin, the same thing will happen,” he said.

Read also: Tinubu hails Nigerian Army for protecting democracy in Benin Republic

Highlighting Nigeria’s long history of leading peacekeeping operations, Jackden said the intervention is consistent with the country’s regional role.

“When it comes to peacekeeping operations, Nigeria has done very well. We saw Nigeria restore peace in Sierra Leone, in Liberia, in the Congo, and even in parts of Europe.

“As the powerhouse in West Africa, Nigeria should call the shots on matters affecting the region,” he said.

He added that as the principal financier of ECOWAS, Nigeria has a responsibility to safeguard democratic order where it is threatened.

Jackden also warned that the recent attempted coup in Benin Republic, coming after successful putsches in Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso, signals a troubling reversal of democratic gains made since the 1990s.

“It appears we are going back to where we were. Once upon a time, Africa was largely ruled by the military. Democracy came in the 90s, and it gave people a voice, elections, representation, dialogue,” he said.

“The best military administration is not as good as the worst democratic administration. A coup is an aberration because it denies people the right to decide what concerns them”, he added.

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