Who killed Dangnivo? The former DGPN Philippe Houndégnon gives another name instead of Alofa.

The trial related to the mysterious disappearance of Pierre Urbain Dangnivo resumed on Friday, July 3, 2026, before the Beninese judiciary, marked by a sensational testimony.

Called to the stand, the former Director General of the National Police (DGPN), Louis Philippe Houndégnon, made a major statement at 10:38, asserting: “It is Isidore Akon who killed Pierre Urbain Dangnivo. I was informed by a professional informant.” This assertion sheds new light on this political-judicial case that has kept the country in suspense for over a decade.

During the previous hearing, it was the defense that requested the appearance of the former head of the national police. For the defense attorney, his testimony is crucial for revealing the truth. Since the onset of this case, Codjo Alofa has been identified as the perpetrator of Dangnivo’s murder.

The statements of Louis Philippe Houndégnon give a whole new twist to this case which has lasted far too long.

For reference, the case of Pierre Urbain Dangnivo dates back to August 17, 2010, when this senior official of the Ministry of Economy and Finance and union activist abruptly disappeared after leaving his office in Cotonou. Faced with social and union pressure, the police investigations conducted at that time led to the discovery, a few weeks later, of a body buried in a house in Womey (commune of Abomey-Calavi).

The initial main suspect, Codjo Cossi Alofa, a convicted felon, had confessed to the murder before later retracting, plunging the case into years of legal challenges, contested DNA tests, and successive delays.

This resumption of the hearing and the direct testimony of the former head of the national police, pointing the finger at Isidore Akon, thus rekindles the debates on the true masterminds and executors of this affair.