Former Minister Sends Message to Trump After Nigerian Government’s Air Strike in Another Country
- Nigeria’s swift military intervention in Benin Republic drew praise abroad but sparked sharp questions at home
- Former minister Solomon Dalung commended President Tinubu’s decisive action while criticising delays in tackling domestic insecurity
- His statement linked Nigeria’s foreign success to calls, including from President Trump, for urgent protection of citizens
Solomon Dalung, former Nigerian minister of youth, issued a statement on December 8 in which he described Nigeria’s military intervention in the Republic of Benin as swift and decisive.
He reported that in the early hours of Sunday, December 7, 2025, soldiers led by Lt. Col. Pascal Tigri staged a coup, seizing the national television station, dissolving democratic institutions, and closing the country’s borders.
Source: Twitter
Dalung said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, acting as Commander-in-Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces, responded immediately by deploying air and ground forces across the border.
Within one hour, the Nigerian Air Force reportedly carried out aerial strikes on convoys believed to be transporting coup loyalists. According to Dalung, the operation was “quick, clinical, and effective,” restoring constitutional order and crushing the putsch.
Dalung praises Tinubu’s leadership
Dalung commended President Tinubu for his decisive action, noting that the intervention reaffirmed Nigeria’s role as a stabilising force in West Africa. He said Tinubu’s move demonstrated Nigeria’s historic responsibility as a guardian of democratic norms in the region.
Despite praising the intervention, Dalung raised concerns about Nigeria’s domestic security challenges. He questioned why similar urgency had not been applied to tackling terrorism, banditry, and kidnappings within Nigeria.
He asked why Brigadier General Musa Uba had been left vulnerable in the forest before being recaptured and executed by ISWAP, and why Nigerian forces had failed to rescue hundreds of schoolchildren kidnapped in Niger State.
Dalung argued that the same coordination used in Benin Republic was absent in areas such as Sambisa Forest, Plateau, Zamfara, Niger, and Kaduna.
Dalung criticises government priorities
Dalung suggested that Nigeria’s insecurity persisted not because of incapacity but due to institutional hesitation or political choices. He said the government’s ability to mobilise rapidly abroad undermined claims of helplessness at home.
He warned that the impression created was that protecting democracy in another country appeared more urgent than safeguarding Nigerian lives and territory.
International law and Trump’s position
Dalung pointed to international law, stating that a government “unwilling or unable to protect its citizens from mass atrocities” risked external intervention under the doctrine of collective self-defence. He said Tinubu’s swift action in Benin, contrasted with slow responses to domestic crises, aligned with global perceptions that Nigeria was reluctant to confront terrorism.
Dalung added that this view validated foreign voices, including President Trump, who had argued that outside assistance might soon be necessary to defend Nigerians where their government had failed.
Call for equal urgency at home
In his conclusion, Dalung urged the Nigerian government to apply the same energy and courage used in Benin Republic to domestic security. He said:
“Let the fighter jets that flew into Cotonou also roar over Sambisa. Let the boots that marched for Benin march for Chibok, Kachia, Mangu and Kontagora. National strength is not measured only abroad, it is proven at home.”
See Dalung's full statement here.
Source: Getty Images
Benin Republic presidency breaks silence
Legit.ng earlier reported that military personnel in Benin Republic announced on Sunday that they had removed President Patrice Talon from office. The declaration was made on state television by a group calling itself the “Military Committee for Refoundation” (CMR).
The soldiers said they had met and decided that “Mr Patrice Talon is removed from office as president of the republic.” Shortly after the announcement, the broadcast signal was cut.
Despite the claims, sources close to Talon told AFP that the president was safe.
One source said: “This is a small group of people who only control the television. The regular army is regaining control. The city (Cotonou) and the country are completely secure.” They added: “It’s just a matter of time before everything returns to normal. The clean-up is progressing well.”
Proofreading by Funmilayo Aremu, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
