The Edo State Special Criminal Court has sentenced four men to death for their involvement in the kidnapping of a woman at the Vegetable Market along Airport Road in Benin City. The convicts are Marvellous Isaac, Wisdom Michael, Rufus Emete Michael, and Gift Raphael. They were found guilty on multiple counts connected to the kidnapping case. Justice Aigbona Momodu handed down the sentences. The court also ordered the forfeiture of a JoJef pump-action firearm and ammunition tendered as exhibits during the trial.
According to the court's judgment, Isaac and Michael were sentenced to death on counts two through nine. They also received separate prison terms on other counts, including seven years on count one, while Isaac was sentenced to 10 years on count 10 and life imprisonment on count 11. The court ordered that the death sentences be carried out by hanging or lethal injection. The convicts were found guilty of kidnapping a woman and committing various other crimes.
Rufus Emete Michael was sentenced to death on counts two, three, four, six, and seven, in addition to a seven-year prison term on count one. The fourth defendant, Gift Raphael, was sentenced to death on counts two, four, six, and eight and received seven years imprisonment on count one. The court also ordered that the exhibits be transferred to the police through the Deputy Director of the Criminal Division and destroyed within 30 days.
The convictions bring to an end the trial arising from the abduction of the woman at the Vegetable Market along Airport Road, an incident that added to concerns over kidnapping and armed crime in Benin City. The incident had raised concerns among residents and security agencies. The court's judgment was delivered by Justice Momodu, who emphasized the severity of the crimes committed by the convicts.
The court ordered that the firearm, identified as Exhibit M, along with two unused cartridges and two spent cartridges listed as Exhibits E and E1, be handed over to the Edo State Police Armourer at the State Criminal Investigation Department for destruction. This was part of the court's judgment, which aimed to ensure that the exhibits are disposed of in accordance with the law.
The sentencing of the four kidnappers is a significant development in the fight against kidnapping and armed crime in Benin City. The court's judgment demonstrates the commitment of the authorities to tackling the menace of kidnapping and ensuring that those who commit such crimes are brought to justice. The Edo State Special Criminal Court has shown that it will not tolerate kidnapping and other violent crimes.
The case has been concluded, and the convicts will face the death penalty for their crimes. The court also ensured that the exhibits used in the trial are destroyed, in accordance with the law. The judgment was delivered on September 29, 2026, and it marks the end of a significant trial in the Edo State Special Criminal Court.
Key points
- Four men were sentenced to death for kidnapping a woman at the Vegetable Market in Benin City.
- The convicts were found guilty on multiple counts connected to the kidnapping case.
- The court ordered that the death sentences be carried out by hanging or lethal injection.
