January 9, 2026, was supposed to be an ordinary, almost joyous day at the ADM Value center in Point E. It was the birthday of MA Obega, a 30-year-old call center agent who had worked there since 2022. She had planned to stay home, exhausted. But the pressure of work, the insistence of a colleague, and the promise of a cake finally convinced her to come to the office. What she didn't yet know was that this day was about to take a disturbing turn.

According to the facts, it all started during break time. According to Ms. Obega's complaint, her colleague, A. Diaw, returned with orange juice. She insisted on offering her some. Obega initially refused, then accepted. But A. Diaw dismissed her concern. Obega finished the cup. A few minutes later, she collapsed. She lay in a room, surrounded by distraught colleagues. "I couldn't do anything," she stated. The most chilling aspect of her account isn't just the drink itself. It's the lack of immediate help. Ultimately, it was her brother, contacted only belatedly, who came to get her.

When questioned, A. Diaw admitted to the act. She confessed to slipping an ecstasy pill, known as a "vollet," into the juice without informing her colleague. "Yes, I admit to putting it in the juice without her knowledge," she stated. A. Diaw claimed she wanted Obega to feel good and for the team to have a laugh on her birthday.

His colleague, ID Ahouangan, is suspected of complicity. But he categorically denies any involvement. According to him, he didn't drink the juice, was communicating with a client, and only learned of the pill after the incident. "I didn't know she had put drugs in it," he insists. The production manager, OK Diop, claims to have ordered the emergency medical services (SAMU) to be called. Supervisor DM Gafoula confirms this, citing the unavailability of a vehicle.

Obega filed a complaint against his girlfriend A. Diaw, who was arrested along with Ahouangan. Brought before the public prosecutor, they are being prosecuted for possession and use of drugs, endangering the lives of others, and complicity.

"I wanted her to feel good..."

The case was heard Friday at the Dakar Magistrates' Court. The defendant, A. Diaw, admitted to administering the pill in the cup of orange juice she offered to Obega. She stated that the substance had been given to her the previous day by a friend visiting from Canada. She intended to share it with Obega and Ahouangan.

“He told me: since you work in a call center, you’ll be relaxed. Since it was her birthday, I wanted her to feel good. The only mistake I made was not telling them it was drugs,” A. Diaw maintained, before clarifying that she has never used drugs.

Charged with complicity, ID Ahouangan denies the allegations. While he admitted to buying the juice at A. Diaw's request, he claims he was unaware she had slipped drugs into the cup. He added that he didn't even have time to drink it after A. Diaw served it to him.

The plaintiff is claiming 10 million

Counsel for the plaintiff, Mr. Arona Bass and others, claimed 10 million FCFA in damages. The lawyers argued that the prosecution should have pursued the charge of administering a substance harmful to health.

In his observations, the public prosecutor emphasized that no medical certificate had been submitted to the file to support this administration's claim. According to the prosecutor's office, technically, this offense cannot succeed.

According to the prosecutor, the court proceedings failed to demonstrate that Ahouangan acted to assist A. Diaw. He requested his outright acquittal.

As for Ms. A. Diaw, the prosecutor believes her detention is beyond doubt. She also did not deny mixing the drugs and giving them to Obega. Therefore, the prosecutor stated, she offered drugs. This is sufficient grounds to request that the charges be changed to offering or supplying drugs. He then requested a sentence ranging from six months to two years imprisonment.

The defense, represented by lawyers Clédor Ly and Sadjo, took the opposite approach, arguing for the dismissal of the charges against A. Diaw. According to the lawyers, the plaintiff was trying to create a spectacle. The defense even produced a video of the birthday celebration. In the footage, the plaintiff is seen blowing out the candles on her cake with her colleagues.

Mr. Sadjo asserts that this is a trial based on suppositions. Mr. Clédor Ly maintains that the elements of the offense are not present in the case file. He asked the court to dismiss all of the plaintiff's claims.

In delivering its verdict, the court acquitted ID Ahouangan. It found A. Diaw guilty of endangering the lives of others, sentencing her to one month in prison and a fine of 200,000 FCFA. She must also pay 500,000 FCFA in damages to Obega.