Two men appeared on Monday, June 2, 2025, before the Court of Repression of Economic Offenses and Terrorism (CRIET) for having disseminated, via social networks, false information about Soumaïla Yaya, former Director General of the Republican Police.
The case dates back to early March 2025, when posts claiming the alleged escape of the former DGPR to Nigeria flooded the web. According to these allegations, four billion CFA francs were discovered at his home, prompting his escape. Quickly shared across several platforms, the rumor caused a great stir in public opinion.
An investigation by the National Center for Digital Investigations (CNIN) was able to trace the rumor back to two individuals arrested in Parakou: Anagovo Barnabé, aka Prince, and Ouorou Gani Bio Aliou, who claims to be a king.
Presented to the CRIET on March 9, 2025, the two men were placed under arrest warrant. During their appearance on June 2, the special prosecutor acknowledged that neither of them was the original source of the information. However, their active role in spreading the false news is being questioned.
Initially prosecuted for “publishing false news and harassment via electronic systems,” the charges were ultimately reclassified as “publishing false news,” under Article 550 of the Digital Code.
In court, Prince admitted to sharing the information in two WhatsApp groups, while asserting he was not the initiator. His co-defendant, Gani Bio Aliou, stated that he simply shared an image related to a funeral ceremony, without realizing it contained a false allegation against Soumaïla Yaya.
For the prosecution, the initial intent doesn’t matter: the two men contributed to amplifying a serious rumor, discrediting a public authority. This is what justifies the severity of the requested sentence: six months of actual imprisonment and a fine of one million CFA francs each.
The defense pleads good faith
One of the defendants’ lawyers, Me Aboubakar Baparapé, pleaded for a full acquittal. According to him, the case is based more on a desire to set an example than on tangible proof of intent to harm. He highlighted his clients’ good faith and denounced a case of “the strong against the weak.”
“They are accused of sharing information they neither invented nor knowingly manipulated. They are ordinary citizens caught up in the virality of the digital age.“, stated Me Baparapé.
At the end of the debates, the Court took the judgment under advisement. The verdict is expected on Monday, July 7, 2025. A highly anticipated decision, in a context where the regulation of digital space and the fight against fake news are becoming governance challenges.