An Edo State Special Criminal Court has sentenced four men to death over the June 14, 2026 abduction of a woman at the Vegetable Market along Airport Road, Benin City.
The defendants — Marvellous Isaac, Wisdom Michael, Rufus Emete Michael and Gift Raphael — were convicted by Justice Aigbona Momodu on an 11-count charge bordering on kidnapping, conspiracy, armed robbery, cultism and unlawful possession of firearms.
Delivering judgment on Tuesday, Justice Momodu said he had “no choice than to impose the maximum sentence stipulated by the law” on the defendants after finding them guilty of the offences charged.
The judge sentenced each of the four defendants to seven years’ imprisonment on count one, while imposing death by hanging or lethal injection on the applicable counts involving the individual defendants.
Isaac, the first defendant, was sentenced to death by hanging or lethal injection on counts two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight and nine. He also received a 10-year prison sentence on count 10 and life imprisonment on count 11.
The second defendant, Wisdom Michael, was similarly sentenced to death by hanging or lethal injection on counts two through nine.
For Rufus Emete Michael, the third defendant, the court imposed the death penalty by hanging or lethal injection on counts two, three, six and seven.
Raphael, the fourth defendant, was sentenced to death by hanging or lethal injection on counts two, four, six and eight.
Justice Momodu also ordered that a pump-action firearm and cartridges recovered from the defendants be forfeited to the Federal Government and destroyed by the police within 30 days.
The judgment marks the first judgment delivered by the Edo State Special Criminal Court since its establishment in June to fast-track the prosecution of kidnapping and cultism cases.
The special court was constituted by Daniel Okungbowa, Chief Judge of Edo State, in June as part of efforts to tackle violent crimes, particularly kidnapping and cult-related offences.
Osawaru said the court was established following a request by Monday Okpebholo, Governor of Edo State, to strengthen the state’s response to violent crime.
