Benin: Rémi Bento sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of Marilyne Ajavon

The Court for the repression of economic offenses and terrorism sentenced Rémi Bento to life imprisonment for the murder of Marilyne Ajavon, a state midwife whose body was found in January 2026. Investigators established his guilt based on material evidence and prior violent behavior. The murder was classified as premeditated, occurring during the Vodun Days in Ouidah, where the victim's body was discovered in her burned vehicle. Bento had previously been convicted of sextortion in 2023 following a tumultuous relationship with the victim.