Without taking chances, the United States Air Force entered the airspace of Benin-Nigeria border without using the Nigerian airport, stepped up reconnaissance and massive attack against militants and it had begun the operation now in blasting the armory of the terrorists.

According to Standard Newspaper Inc USA, Corroborating this view, Bryant Philip, a top American security operative with specialty in West Africa law enforcement confirmed the latest development by explaining that the United States Air Force ISR aircraft is on an on-going mission above

His words: “The United States Air Force ISR aircraft is currently operating above the Babana strategic crossing on the Benin-Nigeria border. This route has long been used by armed groups, particularly JNIM, for smuggling supplies. In August, the Nigerian army clashed with unidentified gunmen.

“The United States resumes ISR missions today in Nigeria, targeting ISWAP zones of influence in Borno State, northeast Nigeria, on the fringes of Lake Chad. It took off from Accra, Ghana. Still not using a Nigerian airport.”

Meanwhile, the Nigerian Army Elite Group, Maroon Beret famously described as Boko Haram’s nightmare stormed the secret enclave of the terrorists’ group and killed over 50 members of the notorious sect inside their make-shift huts in the forest.

As at press time, some 200 West African soldiers, mainly from Nigeria and Ivory Coast, are in Benin Republic to support the government following the failed coup, Benin’s foreign minister says.

Remember, the attempt was foiled after Nigeria deployed fighter jets to drive the mutineers out of a military base and state TV headquarters, where they had declared a takeover.

This is the first time that officials have said how many foreign soldiers were deployed to the country, although it is not clear if some have been withdrawn.

Benin’s Foreign Affairs Minister Olushegun Adjadi Bakari on Thursday said some of the regional troops sent to help had remained in the country “as part of the sweep and clean-up operation”.

The West African regional bloc, ECOWAS, deployed troops from Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone, and Ivory Coast to secure key installations and prevent any resurgence of the violence.

Nigeria, Benin’s large neighbour to the east, said its soldiers had reached there since a few days ago, describing the coup attempt as a “direct assault on democracy”.

Security intelligence showed 50 soldiers from the country had been sent as part of the regional deployment.

“There are currently around 200 soldiers present, who came to lend a hand at the end of the day to the Beninese defence and security forces as part of the sweep and clean-up operation,” said Bakari, while addressing journalists in Nigeria’s capital, Abuja, on Thursday.

Bakari, who was speaking alongside Nigeria’s Foreign Affairs Minister Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, said that by the time the Beninese forces called for help, the coup “was already a failure”.

“When we started discussions for the intervention of Nigeria and the others, under ECOWAS protocol, our military had already pushed them back,” he added.

According to Bakari, what was required was “precise aerial back-up to carry out a surgical operation that targeted the enemy’s key positions without risking civilian casualties”.

Tuggar said that fast diplomatic, military, and intelligence actions between Nigeria and Benin had helped to foil the coup.

Discussions are continuing over how long the regional forces would remain, but Bakari said any decision “will be taken in close collaboration with Benin’s defence and security forces, who have demonstrated their bravery”.

It is not clear if the French special forces who also reportedly helped loyalist troops thwart the coup are still in Benin.

Under intense pressure after a string of successful coups in the region, Ecowas is signaling that it is no longer willing to watch democratically elected governments be toppled by the military.

Bakari praised ECOWAS as “an important tool that allows us to defend democracy and the values of democracy in our regional space”.

President Bola Tinubu has cancelled a planned promotion of his aide-de-camp, Nurudeen Yusuf, after intervention from two former Chiefs of Army Staff.

The decision was taken on Monday evening when concerns were raised within the military over a move to elevate Yusuf to the rank of brigadier-general through a special presidential approval.

Yusuf was only promoted to the rank of colonel in January 2025, making the proposed advancement unusual under existing army rules.

Military guidelines require an officer to spend a minimum of four years as a colonel and also attend the National Defence College before being considered for promotion to the rank of brigadier-general.

In this case, approval to bypass those requirements was reportedly sent from the Office of the National Security Adviser to the Chief of Army Staff.

The letter, dated December 12, 2025, was signed by the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, and indicated that Yusuf would continue to serve as the President’s aide-de-camp even after the proposed promotion.

This plan reportedly caused discomfort within senior military ranks, as no serving brigadier-general has ever functioned as ADC to a sitting Nigerian president.

Ahead of the planned decoration ceremony, the Minister of Defence, a retired general, and the Chief of Army Staff were said to have ended their visit to Lagos State early and returned to Abuja.

Before the promotion could take place, two respected former army chiefs reportedly met with President Tinubu and advised against the move, warning of possible damage to military order and discipline.

A source within the presidency later confirmed that the promotion would not go ahead in the near future.

Military observers had also raised concerns that such an action could create problems within the armed forces and affect established promotion standards.

Yusuf has in the past been linked to allegations of exerting strong influence on military postings and promotions due to his closeness to the President.

Reports claim he once secured presidential approval for the promotion of officers who were due for retirement after failing mandatory assessments.

Although the approval was later withdrawn, the officers were reportedly allowed to remain in service.

President Tinubu promoted Yusuf to the rank of colonel in January 2025 during a ceremony held at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. Yusuf was appointed ADC in April 2023 when he was still a lieutenant colonel, shortly before Tinubu’s inauguration.

In July 2024, Yusuf was crowned the monarch of Ilemona land in Oyun Local Government Area of Kwara State. He is expected to fully assume the traditional position after his retirement from military service.

Senator Ned Nwoko has reacted to allegations by his estranged wife, actress Regina Daniels, that he has deliberately blocked her from having access to their two children, Munir and Khalifa.

Earlier on Tuesday, Regina Daniels took to social media to accuse the senator of preventing her from seeing or communicating with the children amid their ongoing marital crisis. She claimed she had not spoken to them since mid-November, shortly after leaving the marriage. In her statement, Regina also alleged domestic violence and accused Nwoko of using various strategies to keep the children away from her. She further criticised him for sharing photos and videos of the children online, suggesting it was done to provoke her.

In response, Senator Nwoko, through a statement issued by his media aide and shared on his official social media platforms, dismissed the allegations. He insisted that he has not stopped Regina from seeing their children and clarified that the matter is subject to a court ruling.

According to the statement, a court has ordered that Regina Daniels must first undergo drug rehabilitation and be evaluated by the Abuja Social Welfare Department before she can be granted access to Munir, aged five, and Khalifa. Nwoko maintained that his actions are guided strictly by the court’s directive and the welfare of the children.

Addressing Regina’s criticism over his social media posts, the senator argued that she had previously shared photos and videos of the children herself while they were together, questioning why such posts have now become an issue.

Nwoko’s response adds a legal dimension to the public dispute, as both parties continue to trade accusations over custody, access, and conduct, with the court’s decision now central to how the situation unfolds.