President Bola Tinubu has written the Senate, seeking its consent to deploy to the Republic of Benin for combat operations in another country.

The letter was read on Tuesday by the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, during plenary.

According to the President, the letter, which was in sequel to section 5(5) of 1999 Constitution as amended, also became imperative following the need for peacekeeping as a sister country.

The President said that deploying the troop 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.

Details later...