By Camillus Eboh

ABUJA, Dec 9 (Reuters) – Nigeria’s Senate on Tuesday gave its approval for President Bola Tinubu’s deployment of troops to Benin ‍Republic after Benin’s government asked its bigger neighbour for help to quell an attempted coup on Sunday.

Tinubu said in a letter to lawmakers that Benin’s authorities had asked for “exceptional and immediate provision of air support” by Nigeria’s armed ‌forces after reporting an “attempted unconstitutional seizure ‌of power and disruption of democratic institutions.”

Under Nigerian law, the president must seek the Senate’s authority to deploy troops in a foreign country.

Benin’s government on Monday said Nigerian fighter jets had carried out airstrikes to thwart a coup bid in which mutinying soldiers tried ‍to seize President Patrice Talo

See Full Page