Benin: Customs Officers Attacked by Smugglers in Ifangni

Customs officers were targeted by smugglers in Banigbé-Sèdo, Ifangni, where their vehicle was set ablaze and the driver fatally beaten. The incident occurred on Wednesday, September 3, in the village of Banigbé-Sèdo, in the Banigbé district of Ifangni.

According to reports from the public daily La Nation, what began as a routine inspection by customs agents escalated into violence.

The officers had been informed of the arrival of a boat carrying smuggled goods from Nigeria and went to the Banigbé-Sèdo dock, recently closed as part of the crackdown on illegal crossings.

Customs assistants, commonly called klébé, first approached the smugglers, who tried to bribe them. When they refused, the smugglers resorted to violence, attacking the driver. He was rushed to the hospital but succumbed to his injuries.

In response, one of the customs officers fired warning shots to disperse the smugglers, who were backed by bystanders. In retaliation, the attackers set the customs vehicle on fire.

Police from the Banigbé station, reinforced by units from the Plateau Departmental Directorate of the Republican Police, intervened to put an end to the violence and restore order. Several arrests were made.