Benin: Borgou Departmental Director of the Republican Police relieved of his duties.

The Ministry of the Interior and Public Security announced the replacement of the Borgou Departmental Director of the Republican Police, following a large-scale police operation conducted in Parakou and described as a botched operation. In an official statement, the ministry, in concert with the police hierarchy, apologized to the affected individuals and ordered the immediate release of the arrested youths.

After the mass arrest of youths in Parakou on the night of Friday, January 2, 2026, authorities acknowledged malfunctions in the conduct of the police operation, paving the way for corrective measures at the top of the Republican Police in the Borgou department.

According to information, the intervention was led by the Borgou Departmental Directorate of the Republican Police (DDPR), supported by special teams from the Surveillance Platoon and the Mobile Company. The law enforcement forces ended an unauthorized spectacle called “The Clan War,” which gathered several hundred participants, among whom many were minors.

On the ground, the police carried out a wide arrest operation. More than 400 people were arrested, more than 90 motorcycles seized, as well as audio equipment and sound amplification equipment. More than 400 mobile phones were also confiscated and then handed over to the Office for the Fight Against Cybercrime for verification and investigation.

The Borgou Departmental Director of the Police Relieved of His Duties

The day after this massive arrest, the Borgou Departmental Director of the Republican Police was relieved of his duties by the Minister of the Interior and Public Security. In a radio-television address, the Minister of the Interior and Public Security, Alassane Seidou, returned to the circumstances of the police operation carried out on the night of Friday, January 2 to Saturday, January 3, 2026 in the 3rd arrondissement of Parakou.

“It has been brought to my attention that a police operation, conducted in the night of Friday 2 to Saturday 3 January 2026 in the 3rd arrondissement of Parakou and aimed at preventing any disorder likely to affect public tranquility, unfortunately gave rise to a blunder that caused inconvenience to many people,” the minister acknowledged.

The firing of the department director followed. “But, due to the gravity of the reported incidents, the Borgou Departmental Director of the Republican Police has been relieved of his duties,” announced the Minister of the Interior.

In response to this situation, the Republican Police expressed its regrets and apologized to the innocent people who were harmed by the operation.

In response to this situation, the Republican Police expressed its regrets and apologized to the innocent people affected by the intervention. The minister finally urged citizens to go about their business freely, in strict compliance with the laws and regulations of the Republic.