Benin: 24 people intercepted in Tchaourou in presumed migration to gold panning sites – La Nouvelle Tribune

On June 16, 2026, border control agents at the Okpara bridge in Tchaourou intercepted 24 people heading to Burkina Faso. The group included 23 Nigerian nationals of Haoussa ethnicity and a 20-year-old Beninese man suspected as the convoyeur. The travelers stated they intended to work at gold panning sites in Burkina Faso. An investigation has been opened to determine the circumstances and possible links to migrant smuggling networks.