Former Nigeria’s Chief of Army Staff and current Ambassador to the Republic of Benin, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai (rtd.), has commended President Bola Tinubu for ordering a rapid military response to crush the attempted coup in the Republic of Benin, describing the action as a “decisive masterstroke” that safeguarded democracy and prevented a wider regional crisis.
Buratai stated this in Abuja on Tuesday, noting that the deployment of Nigerian Air Force jets and ground forces, carried out at the request of Benin’s authorities, was a display of “strategic foresight, political courage and military efficiency.”
He dismissed criticism from those comparing the swift success in Benin to Nigeria’s prolonged internal security challenges, saying such critics “misunderstand the nature of the threats involved.”
According to him, the Benin operation was a classic, conventional engagement targeting fixed positions held by renegade soldiers, a scenario in which national armed forces naturally excel.
“This type of mission plays directly to the strengths of any modern army superior firepower, air dominance and disciplined infantry capable of dislodging an enemy from defined territory,” Buratai said.
He added that Nigeria’s swift success in Benin “should inspire national pride,” stressing that such clarity of engagement is not comparable to the asymmetric warfare Nigeria faces domestically.
Buratai explained that the country’s fight against banditry and insurgency involves shadowy, fluid networks of militants who rely on local informants and guerrilla tactics, requiring a multifaceted approach beyond conventional military force alone.
“Victory in this kind of conflict depends not on a single decisive strike but on sustained campaigns blending intelligence, policing, economic development and social interventions,” he said.
He argued that praising Tinubu’s intervention in Benin should not be misconstrued as criticism of domestic operations, but rather as recognition that both battles require different strategies.
The retired general also emphasised the geopolitical significance of the operation, warning that a successful coup in Benin would have created a dangerous security vacuum along Nigeria’s western corridor.
“A destabilised Benin would have opened safe havens for criminal and terrorist networks, triggered refugee flows and intensified cross-border threats,” he said.
“By acting decisively, President Tinubu did not ignore problems at home; he prevented a wildfire next door from spreading to our own compound,” Buratai added.
He described the intervention as “enlightened self-interest,” noting that securing Nigeria’s borders is inseparable from stabilising its neighbourhood.
Buratai called on government and security agencies to sustain the same clarity of purpose in addressing internal security challenges, stressing that the long-term project of securing Nigeria “extends far beyond the battlefield.”
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