Porto-Novo: arrest of a suspected scammer wanted for false promises of loans and driver’s licenses
The police station of the 1st district of Porto-Novo apprehended a man who had been wanted for several months in connection with an alleged fraud case.
SUMMARY
The accused is accused of extracting large sums of money from numerous people by promising them financial loans and discounted driving permits.
The suspect, who had been under investigation for four months following a complaint, was arrested on July 8, 2026, with the support of the central police station of Abomey-Calavi.
Hundreds of victims lured by financing promises
According to initial findings from the investigation, the individual lured his victims by making them believe he could obtain loans for them from a financing institution. Seduced by this offer, 464 people, notably from Porto-Novo, Sèmè-Podji, Akpro-Missérété, Lalo, and Glazoué, submitted applications and paid funds.
According to the main complainant, the suspect received a total of 4,977,400 CFA francs, paid in several installments, to facilitate the obtaining of these loans. Once the sums were collected, the man disappeared, cutting off all contact with the victims who were demanding their money back.
A parallel scam involving driving permits
The investigations carried out by the Republic police reveal that the case could be even larger. Several other individuals have come forward to report similar actions. They claim to have given money to the suspect as part of an alleged project called “Permis Vacances,” which promised the acquisition of subsidized driving permits.
Investigators estimate that hundreds of thousands of CFA francs were collected from citizens in several departments before the alleged fraudster fled. Hearings are ongoing to identify all the affected individuals, assess the total amount of damages, and formally establish responsibilities in this case.
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