Nigerian President Bola Tinubu has written the Senate, seeking its consent to deploy Nigerian troops to neigbouring Republic of Benin for combat operations.
According to President Tinubu, the letter, which is in line with section 5(5) of 1999 Constitution as amended, became imperative following the need for peacekeeping in a sister country.
He said also that deploying the troops was as a result of a request by the Republic of Benin for assistance and considering the close ties of friendship and brotherhood.
It will be recalled that soldiers operating under the “Military Committee for Refoundation”, led by Lt Col Pascal Tigri, briefly seized the state television station in Cotonou on Sunday, announcing the overthrow of President Patrice Talon’s administration, but the coup was thwarted by the intervention of fighter jets and troops deployed in the neighbouring country by President Tinubu.
Meanwhile, it was gathered that the letter was read on Tuesday by the President of the Nigerian Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, during plenary.
GIK/APA
