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BREAKING NEWS: Inside details of Nigeria’s military operation that foiled coup in Benin Republic

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A coup in the Republic of Benin was foiled with the support of the Nigerian armed forces on Sunday.....TAP TO CONTINUE READING

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, including the national broadcaster and a major military camp where they regrouped.

Similarly, our sources reported that ground forces were mobilised across land borders, drawing personnel from army battalions in Ikorodu, Badagry, and Owode in Ogun State, to prevent the forceful takeover in Cotonou.

PREMIUM TIMES reported how the coup plotters attempted to dismantle the French-speaking country’s constitutional institutions on Sunday.

The Nigerian presidency said Benin Republic authorities requested the deployment of Nigerian military assets for surveillance and rapid intervention under Benin-led coordination.

“The government also requested Nigerian ground forces, strictly for missions approved by Benin’s command authority, in support of protecting constitutional institutions and containing armed groups,” the Nigerian presidency said.

Benin’s president, Mr Talon, later confirmed the coup, announcing that loyal forces had regained control.

“I express my condolences to the victims of this senseless adventure and to those still held by fleeing mutineers,” Mr Talon said in a televised address. “We will do everything to recover them safely.”

Sources told this newspaper that the Nigerian air force dropped explosives in some parts of the country on Sunday to scare the coupists, while Nigerian troops remain on standby and will respond immediately if the plotters regroup.

The intervention also received backing from ECOWAS, which ordered the deployment of a regional troop comprising personnel from Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana.

The West African bloc earlier condemned the attempt as “a subversion of the will of the people of Benin.”

Gunfire first rang out across several neighbourhoods in Cotonou on Sunday, followed by the appearance of heavily armed soldiers on state television.

The group, calling itself the Military Committee for Refoundation and led by Colonel Tigri Pascal, announced the dissolution of national institutions, the suspension of the constitution and the closure of Benin’s land, air and maritime borders.

They cited deteriorating security in northern Benin and alleged neglect of fallen troops as justification for their action.

This would have been the latest in a surge of power seizures in West Africa, where Mali, Burkina Faso, Guinea and Niger have experienced coups since 2020.

Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede, confirmed that the Nigerian armed forces fully executed Benin’s request.

“Ours is to comply with the directive of the Commander-in-Chief,” he said. “All requested deployments have been carried out.”

In his remarks after the restoration of the democratic and constitutional order, President Tinubu commended the Nigerian armed forces for standing firm as a protector and defender of democracy.

“Today, the Nigerian armed forces stood gallantly as defenders and protectors of constitutional order in the Republic of Benin on the invitation of the government. Our armed forces acted within the ambit of the ECOWAS Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance. They have helped stabilise a neighbouring country and have made us proud of their commitment to sustaining our democratic values and ideals since 1999. Nigeria stands firmly with the government and people of the Republic of Benin.”

Although Benin has enjoyed almost five decades without a coup, analysts say mounting insecurity in the north, where insurgent attacks have surged, may have contributed to the unrest.

Mr Talon has been in power since 2016 and is expected to step down next April.

Despite underlying tensions, the coup collapsed within hours, a development credited to regional solidarity and rapid military coordination led by Nigeria.

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Oyo police intercepts truck conveuing explosives in Saki

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The Oyo State Police Command has announced an operational success recorded following an intelligence-led operation.....TAP TO CONTINUE READING

Acting on credible intelligence, operatives of the Command intercepted a truck conveying materials suspected to be explosive devices during a stop-and-search operation in Saki, Oyo State. The truck and the suspected materials were promptly secured and are currently in police custody.

Upon receiving a briefing on the development, the Commissioner of Police, Oyo State Command, CP Femi Haruna, immediately ordered a comprehensive investigation into the matter.

Consequently, specialised personnel of the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Unit and the Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) Unit were deployed to safely secure the items for safekeeping and forensic examination. Detailed forensic analysis has since commenced, alongside a thorough and robust investigation to determine the exact nature of the items and their intended use.

The truck driver has been taken into custody and is cooperating fully with investigators as efforts continue to unravel all the circumstances surrounding the incident.

The Commissioner of Police commended the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, for his unwavering support, strategic leadership, and continued provision of operational guidance that enhance proactive, intelligence-driven policing across the country.

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Benue: Armed bandits kill motorcyclist, injure woman in Apa LGA

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One person has died and another sustained injuries following an assault by suspected armed bandits in Apa Local Government Area of Benue State.....TAP TO CONTINUE READING

According to sources, the attack took place on January 24 around 4:00 p.m. along the Amoke–Odugbo road in Ukpogo Village, Edikwu Ward.

The victims, identified as Mr Joseph Okoh and Miss Aneh Sunday, both from Ogodumo, Adoka in Otukpo LGA, were reportedly riding a motorcycle when the assailants struck.

“They were rushed to the Comprehensive Health Centre, Ugbokpo, where Mr Okoh was confirmed dead while receiving treatment. Miss Sunday is currently admitted and responding to treatment,” the source stated.

Nigerian troops were quickly deployed to the area, and a search operation in the surrounding bushes is ongoing to apprehend the attackers.

“The Criminal Investigation Department has commenced an investigation into the incident,” the source added.

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2026 UTME: JAMB scraps special privileges for albino candidates over malpractices

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The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has scrapped special concessions and registration procedures previously granted to candidates with albinism for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, citing abuse of the privilege to perpetrate examination malpractice.....TAP TO CONTINUE READING

The Board also warned faith-based tertiary institutions to clearly declare their religious status at the point of admission, saying it is deceptive to present as secular and later impose religious rules on students.

As reported by Vanguard, these decisions were taken on Saturday at a meeting between JAMB management, led by its Registrar, Prof. Isaq Oloyede, and Commissioners for Education from the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory, held in Ikeja, Lagos.

Oloyede said the meeting was convened to review and assess previous admission exercises.

He noted that despite safeguards introduced by the Board, some individuals remained determined to circumvent the system.

“We have stopped some concessions we gave albino candidates. This is because some are using artificial intelligence to manipulate the registration process to look like they are albinos because of the consideration we gave them.

“Last year alone, over 7,000 claimed to be albinos. We have stopped special registration procedures for albinos,” he said.

Addressing complaints from candidates admitted into some private institutions over compulsory religious instruction, Oloyede urged faith-based schools to be transparent.

“Faith-based institutions should declare from the onset what they are, so that whoever applies there will know what he is going to meet there. But some don’t do that. They will pretend to be secular, but once students are admitted, trouble will begin over religious instruction and injunctions.

“If you are a faith-based institution, say so. The law allows you to set up faith-based schools,” he said.

On last year’s UTME, where the highest-scoring candidate was later found to be a 300-level university student, the JAMB registrar said investigations showed that some undergraduates sit for the examination to change courses or assist others to secure admission.

“Students who are already in school but want to change courses and are applying again must declare and disclose their status.

“We have found that some candidates already in school are writing the examination for other candidates. Last year, the candidate who scored the highest was found to be a 300-level student in the university.

“Henceforth, any candidate found engaging in such an act, and who fails to disclose that he is already in school but wants to change course, will be disqualified and will also lose his current admission,” he said.

On admission criteria, Oloyede explained that federal government-owned institutions allocate 45 per cent on merit, 20 per cent on catchment area, 20 per cent to educationally disadvantaged states, while the remaining slots are allocated to other considerations.

“Each owner or state has the right to decide what its admission criteria will be. But for states, we encourage them to allocate at least 10 per cent to merit, regardless of where the candidates come from.

“This is to diversify the student population and admit eggheads from different communities,” he said.

He criticised some states for establishing new universities despite not fully utilising their admission quotas in existing federal institutions.

On underage candidates, Oloyede said 16 years remained the minimum admission age, noting that an attestation process was in place for exceptional cases.

“Last year, about 42,000 claimed to be underage. After evaluation, only 78 met the criteria and were admitted. We are not saying there are no talented candidates, but the figure looks outlandish,” he said.

The issue of how to engage underage candidates during a gap year divided opinions at the meeting, but a majority voted for JAMB to continue its special assessment process.

The meeting also observed that parental pressure on children to complete their education too quickly was a major contributor to the problem.

On efforts to curb examination malpractice, Oloyede said JAMB had stopped the movement of computers between Computer-Based Test centres.

“A computer registered in a particular centre will remain there and is not transferable to another centre. Some people borrow computers to get accredited and later move them around,” he said.

He dismissed claims that candidates were posted to towns they did not choose, saying personal data used for registration were drawn directly from the National Identification Number submitted by candidates.

Providing an update on the 2025 UTME, Oloyede said 974,855 candidates had so far been admitted out of about 1.95 million who sat for the examination.

He added that over N2.4 billion had been disbursed to institutions that consistently complied with JAMB’s rules over the past 10 years, and that the meeting agreed that schools producing the best candidates should be compensated.

On accreditation of CBT centres, Oloyede said the process involved teams comprising university vice-chancellors, rectors and provosts in each state.

He warned state governments against agreements with private promoters who might use centres to facilitate malpractice.

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