Serigne Saliou Béye had received 370,000 CFA francs for a marriage that never existed, involving two people with impaired mental faculties.

A particularly disturbing dowry scam broke out on the night of June 26-27, 2026, in Kébémer. Serigne Saliou Béye, 32, residing in Ndande, promised to marry his niece, Mame Diarra N., who lived in Touba, to Mr. Mbaye, also residing in Ndande. After receiving a dowry of 370,000 CFA francs, he had scheduled the wedding for the Tamxarit festival, thus giving the engagement a special solemnity.

Convinced of Serigne Saliou Béye's good faith, the groom's parents traveled to Touba to prepare the bride. It was on that same day, during a stop at the Lompoul garage in Kébémer, that the deception was suddenly exposed. Serigne Saliou Béye spontaneously confessed to the family that the marriage had never taken place. Stunned, the family immediately took him to the Kébémer police station.

Confession and police custody

When questioned by investigators, Serigne Saliou Béye unequivocally confessed to the crime and was taken into custody. The victim's family, represented by Father Eumeudy Mbaye, demanded full reimbursement of the money paid.

The outcome of this case is unexpected, to say the least. The accused man's father chose to repay the dowry not in cash, but by giving the family an ox worth the equivalent of 370,000 CFA francs.

Sensitive to the family ties uniting the two families, Eumeudy Mbaye accepted this compensation in kind and went to the police station to withdraw from any legal proceedings.

The case reveals a particularly serious dimension. According to Eumeudy Mbaye's statements, neither his son nor the alleged bride-to-be, Mame Diarra Fall, were in full possession of their mental faculties. The two had, in fact, never even met. Serigne Saliou Béye had thus deliberately exploited two vulnerable individuals to perpetrate a fraud disguised as a simple marriage of convenience. Having been informed of all the circumstances and the withdrawal of the plaintiff's complaint, the public prosecutor ordered Serigne Saliou Béye's acquittal.