Benin: one fatality in an altercation between police and local population in Kalalé
On Monday March 17, 2025, an intervention by the Republican police to apprehend a trader degenerated into a confrontation with the local population, resulting in the death of one man and the injury of four others.
SUMMARY
It all began with a raid by the forces of law and order targeting a trader involved in the purchase and resale of soya beans and cashew nuts. According to information gathered by Africaho, the individual, who had been wanted since the previous day, fled before the police arrived.
Faced with this situation, the police tried to force open his store in order to seize the goods. Tensions escalated when local residents, refusing what they saw as an arbitrary intrusion, formed a human barrier to prevent access to the stock of goods.
In this explosive atmosphere, one of the police officers opened fire on the crowd, killing one man instantly and wounding four others.
Violent response from the public
Shocked by this use of force, the local population reacted swiftly. The police, overwhelmed by events, left the scene in a hurry, abandoning their equipment. In retaliation, angry residents set fire to two motorcycles and the police vehicle, expressing their indignation at the brutality of the intervention.
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