"Gay Romeo", kidnapping, ransom: the inside story of the trial of "Madré's" network



The Dakar criminal court examined a case last Wednesday involving a blackmail ring targeting European nationals, a case that made headlines in 2025, reports Les Échos. At the end of the hearing, the prosecutor requested two-year prison sentences for Ibrahima N., alias "Madré," 26, and Belgian national Jean Jacques M., 68, both charged with "acts against nature." For the other defendants—Ndiémé S., Fatoumata Bintou K., and Abdoulaye B.—charged as accomplices, the prosecution requested the application of the penal code. The verdict is scheduled for October 14.

The case file describes a modus operandi based on online encounters. The alleged group targeted European men on dating sites before luring them to Senegal. In the case of Jean Jacques M., it all reportedly began on "Gay Romeo," where the Belgian man thought he had found a romantic relationship with Ibrahima N. After numerous exchanges on WhatsApp, he arrived in Dakar on March 28, 2025. Welcomed by his contact, he spent his first night with him before traveling to Saly in the company of several alleged members of the group.

The trap was sprung a few days later. On April 3, Les Échos reported that Ibrahima N. had convinced the Belgian man to return to Dakar, where he ended up on Ngor Island. According to the newspaper, Jean Jacques M. was allegedly "locked up, stripped of his belongings," and forced, under threat, to demand 7,000 euros, or nearly 4.6 million CFA francs, from his brother in Belgium. The latter reportedly transferred 5,000 euros, or more than 3 million CFA francs, via Western Union.

The alert raised by the Belgian man's associates allowed investigators from the Research Section to trace the group. The gendarmes reportedly used the phone number used to withdraw the money to locate the suspects. Jean Jacques M. was finally released on April 4th. The investigation uncovered a system based on virtual meetings, followed by traps and extortion demands.

Ironically, notes the daily newspaper, Jean Jacques M., a "victim of kidnapping and attempted extortion," is also being prosecuted for "unnatural acts." Medical examinations revealed anal lesions in both the Belgian man and Ibrahima N. Neither man reportedly wished to comment on these findings. Jean Jacques M., for his part, is said to have stated that he was subjected to forced sexual acts.

Ibrahima N. is being prosecuted for criminal conspiracy, unnatural acts, kidnapping, and attempted extortion. Ndiémé S., Fatoumata Bintou K., and Abdoulaye B. are being prosecuted for complicity in these offenses, with the exception of the unnatural acts. Jean Jacques M., who has also filed a civil suit, was granted provisional release before leaving Senegal. Tried in absentia, he was therefore not present at the hearing.

Following the prosecution's requests, the defense, notably Mr. Ibrahima Diagne, pleaded for the acquittal of the defendants.