An Edo State High Court sitting in Benin City has delivered a landmark verdict, sentencing four suspected members of a kidnapping gang to death by hanging. The convicts, Marvellous Isaac, 32; Wisdom Michael, 36; Rufus Emete Michael, 30; and Gift Raphael, 27, were found guilty of kidnapping and other related offences. The verdict was delivered by Justice Aigbona Terry Momodu of the Edo State Special Criminal Court.
The four defendants were prosecuted on an 11-count charge arising from the broad-daylight abduction of a woman at the Vegetable Market along Airport Road, Benin, on June 14, 2026. The prosecution, led by Prof. Roland Otaru, called seven witnesses during the trial, while the defence did not call any witnesses. The court admitted several exhibits, including alleged confessional statements, a Lexus RX 350 SUV, a pump-action firearm, ammunition, a mobile phone, and other materials tendered by the prosecution.
The prosecution's case linked the defendants to the June 14 abduction, when armed men allegedly attacked a vehicle at the busy Vegetable Market and abducted the woman in the presence of her husband and children. Investigations allegedly connected the Lexus SUV to other kidnapping incidents, while the arrest of Isaac on June 18 reportedly led to the recovery of the vehicle and other exhibits. The prosecution subsequently linked the other defendants to the alleged criminal enterprise.
In his judgment, Justice Momodu found the defendants guilty on various counts, although the sentences differed according to the counts on which each was convicted. Isaac was sentenced to seven years on one count, 10 years on another, and life imprisonment on another, in addition to the death penalty on several kidnapping counts. Wisdom Michael was discharged and acquitted on counts 10 and 11 but convicted on other counts.
Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Olayiwola Afolabi, has cautioned Governor Monday Okpebholo against taking any step towards executing the convicts until the expiration of the period allowed by law for them to exercise their right of appeal. Afolabi said the Governor could not lawfully order the execution of the convicts immediately, stressing that they should first be allowed to pursue whatever appellate remedies are available to them.
The development has raised broader questions about the balance between speedy criminal justice, deterrence of violent crime, and the constitutional safeguards available to persons convicted by the courts. The case had attracted particular attention because of the alleged brazen nature of the June 14 abduction and the decision to prosecute it before a specialised criminal court.
Barrister Jude Okonkwo commended Justice Momodu for what he described as a sound judgment and for the effort invested in the trial. The case is expected to remain a major reference point in the assessment of Edo's specialised approach to the prosecution of kidnapping cases, particularly as the state seeks to combine swift adjudication with adherence to due process and the rights of convicted persons.
Key points
- The convicts were sentenced to death by hanging for the kidnapping of a woman at the Vegetable Market in Benin City.
- The Governor of Edo State has been cautioned against executing the convicts until they have exhausted their appellate remedies.
- The case has raised questions about the balance between speedy criminal justice and the constitutional safeguards available to convicted persons.
