Nigeria deploys fighter jets to Benin Republic amid failed coup
The Nigerian military has deployed fighter jets to Benin Republic after a military coup that almost toppled the incumbent President Patrice Talon on Sunday.
According to security sources, the aircrafts were sighted operating within the airspace of Benin Republic, carrying out aerial surveillance and monitoring the security situation in the country.
Sources say the deployment which precautionary, is geared towards the evaluation of potential regional security threats and the protection of Nigeria’s interests.
“The aircraft have already arrived in Benin Republic. Nigeria is closely monitoring developments and evaluating potential risks. This is not an offensive operation but a strategic response to unfolding events,” the source said.
Recall that a coup attempt was earlier foiled on Sunday in Benin Republic by government forces, after a group of soldiers who identified themselves as the Military Committee for Rebuilding, announced on national television that they had taken control of power.
The military committee led by Colonel Tigri Pascal consequently suspended the constitution and shut the nation’s borders.
A few hours later, the Interior Minister Alassane Seidou said in a statement that the country’s armed forces had foiled the attempted coup and regained control of power.
The development is coming at a time when the country was preparing for a presidential election in April that would mark the end of the tenure of the incumbent President, who has been in power since 2016.
