Nigeria, Dec. 8 -- A coup in the Republic of Benin was foiled with the support of the Nigerian armed forces on Sunday.

PREMIUM TIMES learnt that the intervention came at the request of Benin's President Patrice Talon, who sought immediate military backing to stop the forceful takeover of power in his country.

President Bola Tinubu ordered the Nigerian Air Force to enter the country and take over its airspace to help dislodge the coup plotters from National TV and a military camp where they regrouped, Presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga said in a statement.

Sources told PREMIUM TIMES that the deployment of Nigeria's air force fighter jets played a significant deterrent role, forcing the mutineers to retreat from strategic locations, ...