Benin: exchange of gunfire in Péhunco between robbers and law enforcement.
The night of May 23 to 24, 2026, was marked by a violent attack in a concession in Péhunco, in northern Benin.
Introduced at around 3:30 a.m., armed individuals surprised the sleeping household head in the courtyard. Threatened under duress, he was unable to prevent the assailants from targeting his wife, a trader of petroleum products.
Refusing to yield, the victim watched as the burglars smashed several doors with blunt objects. She was ultimately forced to hand over the previous day’s earnings, estimated at 1,050,000 FCFA, along with three mobile phones.
In their hasty escape, expedited by the arrival of the police, the criminals abandoned a Bajaj motorcycle they intended to take. The couple, slightly injured from machete blows, was taken care of.
Alerted around 4 a.m., law enforcement quickly dispatched a team to the scene. Upon arrival, they came under gunfire. Two assailants fled, while a third, armed with a homemade pistol, attempted to reload his weapon to open fire. Ignoring warnings, he was fatally shot by the police response.
Initial findings of the investigation reveal that the robbers may have had local assistance. A motorcycle taxi driver reportedly took them to the scene before disappearing at the start of the assault. Investigations are ongoing to identify this accomplice and dismantle the rest of the criminal network.
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