JUSTICE/CRIET: Heartbreak Turns to Kidnapping in Zakpota
A jilted ex-fiancé and a motorcycle taxi driver appeared before the Court for the Repression of Economic Crimes and Terrorism (CRIET) on Thursday, July 2, 2026. They are being prosecuted for kidnapping and holding a 22-year-old woman captive for 48 hours after she refused to rekindle her relationship with her former partner.
The events, worthy of a movie script, unfolded last May in Zakpota. The victim, who had rebuilt her life in Cotonou with a new partner with whom she was pregnant, was intercepted in the street.
Unable to accept the breakup, her ex-fiancé, aided by a motorcycle taxi driver, forcibly took her away. Held against her will for nearly two days, the young woman endured intense psychological pressure. Her kidnapper went so far as to offer to raise his rival’s child as her own, on the sole condition that she resume their life together.
Faced with her captors, the victim remained calm. Feigning severe stomach pains related to her pregnancy, she convinced her kidnappers to take her to the hospital. Once safely inside the medical facility, she discreetly alerted the medical staff, who immediately notified the police. The two accomplices were arrested on the spot.
In court, the main defendant confessed, justifying his actions solely by his desire to win back his ex-fiancée. The judges reminded him that Beninese law severely punishes forced marriage as well as any form of union that deprives an individual of their free consent.
Refusing any personal financial compensation, the young woman left it to her family to claim reimbursement only for expenses incurred during this ordeal, affirming her desire to put the matter behind her for good.
Both defendants were remanded in custody. The prosecution will present its arguments at the next hearing, scheduled for August 27, 2026.
This tragic case serves as a stark reminder that refusing a romantic relationship is a matter of individual freedom, while coercion leads directly to prison.
Prospère CAKPO (Intern)
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