Alofa Kossi Codjo, who was sentenced to 30 years in prison in connection with the murder of Pierre Urbain Dangnivo – an executive at the Beninese Ministry of Economy and Finance who disappeared in August 2010 – died Monday in Cotonou, according to a statement from the prosecutor’s office.
His death occurred following his transfer to the Hubert Koutoukou Maga National University Hospital. “Preliminary findings indicate a stroke, as determined by medical personnel,” stated the public prosecutor at the First-Class Court of First Instance in Cotonou, adding that the appropriate procedures are underway.
The Dangnivo case dates back to August 17, 2010, when this senior official in Benin’s financial administration went missing. The discovery of a buried body in Abomey-Calavi in September of that same year marked the beginning of a lengthy legal process, punctuated by controversies and twists and turns.
Charged with murder, Alofa was sentenced on July 22, 2026, to 30 years’ imprisonment by the Cotonou court. His co-defendant, Donatien Amoussou, who was charged with complicity, was acquitted.
The court also ordered that the remains of Pierre Urbain Dangnivo be returned to his family.
AC/fss/as/APA