Police arrested an individual on Saturday, 31 October 2026, following an armed standoff in the Havikpa-Vouinkpa area of Zè commune. Local authorities took the suspect into custody after the incident concluded in the Bénin region. The arrest occurred after an intervention by law enforcement personnel in the commune. No further details regarding the identity of the suspect or the specific circumstances surrounding the standoff were released by officials at the time of the operation.
Details of Police Operation
Elements from the Zè central arrondissement commissariat and an intervention unit conducted the police operation. These units arrived at the scene in the Havikpa-Vouinkpa area to address the standoff. The deployment of the Zè central arrondissement commissariat and the specialized intervention unit was coordinated to secure the perimeter of the residence where the individual had barricaded himself.
During the confrontation, the suspect opened fire on police officers using a handmade pistol through the salon persiennes of the residence. The individual remained inside the property while discharging the weapon at law enforcement personnel stationed outside. The firing through the salon persiennes created a hazardous environment for the officers attempting to negotiate a surrender. Law enforcement personnel maintained their positions outside the structure, responding to the threat posed by the suspect as he fired the handmade pistol from within the confines of the home. The standoff persisted while the suspect continued to utilize the salon persiennes to target the responding officers.
Authorities completed a search of the suspect's home following the arrest. Officers seized one handmade pistol, 11 handmade swords, 12 hatchets, four arrows, one machete, and two small knives from the premises. These items were documented and removed from the property by the responding units. The inventory of the seized items included 11 handmade swords and 12 hatchets, which were discovered during the thorough search of the residence conducted immediately after the suspect was apprehended. The search revealed four arrows, one machete, and two small knives, all of which were cataloged as evidence by the Zè central arrondissement commissariat and the intervention unit. The recovery of the handmade pistol, the primary weapon used during the standoff, was also confirmed by authorities. The entire collection of weapons, including the 11 handmade swords and 12 hatchets, was secured and transported from the Havikpa-Vouinkpa location. The intervention unit and the Zè central arrondissement commissariat finalized their documentation of the scene following the removal of the suspect and the seizure of the weapons. The operation concluded with the suspect in police custody, and the investigation into the incident in Zè commune remains ongoing as officials process the seized evidence.
