Omokri slams criticism of military over foiled Benin coup

Former presidential aide, Reno Omokri, has criticised Nigerians who mocked the country’s Armed Forces for assisting in the suppression of a coup attempt in the Republic of Benin while insecurity persists in some parts of Nigeria.

In a post shared on Facebook, Omokri argued that comparing the military’s response to a conventional coup attempt in Cotonou with the fight against insurgents and bandits operating in remote forests is “an indication of low intelligence.”

He maintained that armed groups embedded deep within expansive forests are far more difficult to dislodge than coup plotters who move openly with tanks or assembled combat units on city streets.

According to him, “If terrorists and bandits marched into Abuja or Lagos in the open, our armed forces would neutralise them just as they did the putschists in Benin. But inside forests as large as some European nations, they are not visible targets.”

Omokri drew parallels with the United States’ prolonged and ultimately unsuccessful counter-insurgency campaign in Afghanistan, stating that even the world’s most equipped army struggled to defeat guerrilla fighters entrenched in difficult terrain.

He also reminded Nigerians that Abuja once faced frequent terror attacks, citing the 2022 Kuje Prison break, the assault on the Brigade of Guards, and the bombing of the Kaduna–Abuja train earlier that year.

However, he credited the current administration with reducing high-profile attacks in the capital, noting the arrest of two Ansaru leaders allegedly behind the Kuje jailbreak as a significant step forward.

“Our capital, once plagued by bombings and gunfights, has been relatively calm,” he wrote, urging citizens to appreciate the progress made.

Using an analogy, Omokri likened insurgents operating in the Sahel and Sambisa Forest to monkeys in their natural habitat—hard to capture because the terrain favours them. But when such criminals enter cities, he said, security forces can handle them more effectively.

He further highlighted Nigeria’s long-standing reputation in conventional warfare, referencing historic military deployments from the Congo to Lebanon and ECOMOG operations, stressing that the current challenge is fundamentally different.

Omokri concluded by calling for public support instead of mockery, saying troops “sleep in foxholes so Nigerians can sleep in their beds.”