The Edo State Special Criminal Court sitting in Benin City has sentenced four persons to death after convicting them over the kidnapping of a woman at the popular Vegetable Market off Airport Road in Benin City.
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Justice Aigbona Terry Momodu delivered the judgment on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, following the trial of Marvelous Isaac, 32; Wisdom Michael, 36; Rufus Emete Michael, 30; and Gift Raphael, 27.
The defendants had faced charges arising from the June 14, 2026 kidnapping, including conspiracy, kidnapping, armed robbery, cultism and unlawful possession of firearms.
The judgment is the first kidnapping verdict delivered by the Edo State Special Criminal Court, which was constituted by the Chief Judge of Edo State, Justice Daniel Okungbowa, following a directive by Governor Monday Okpebholo for the accelerated hearing of kidnapping and cultism-related cases in the state.
According to the verdict, the court imposed different sentences on the four defendants depending on the counts on which each was convicted, with several of the counts attracting the death penalty by hanging or lethal injection.
For the first defendant, Marvelous Isaac, the court sentenced him to seven years’ imprisonment on count one.
On counts two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight and nine, the court sentenced Isaac to death by hanging or through the administration of a lethal injection.
“You shall be hanged by the neck till you are dead. May the Lord have mercy on you,” the court said.
Isaac was further sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment on count ten and life imprisonment on count eleven.
The second defendant, Wisdom Michael, was sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment on count one.
On counts two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight and nine, the court sentenced him to death by hanging or lethal injection.
“You shall be hanged by the neck until you are dead. May the Lord have mercy on you,” the judge pronounced.
For the third defendant, Rufus Emete Michael, the court imposed seven years’ imprisonment on count one.
He was sentenced to death on counts two, three, four, six and seven, also by hanging or the administration of a lethal injection.
The fourth defendant, Gift Raphael, was similarly sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment on count one.
Raphael was sentenced to death on counts two, four, six and eight.
The case arose from the broad-daylight abduction of a woman at the Vegetable Market along Airport Road in Benin City on June 14, 2026.
The victim had reportedly gone to the market with her husband and children when armed men arrived at the scene and abducted her.
Earlier reports from the trial identified the victim as Mrs Precious Oseghale, who testified before the court that she and her family had gone to the market after church when a red Lexus RX 350 blocked their vehicle. She said armed men shot at a tyre of their vehicle before abducting her after her husband escaped.
The incident also attracted attention after a woman who said she witnessed the kidnapping posted a video online recounting what happened.
“Today, for the first time, I witnessed someone being kidnapped,” the eyewitness said.
She said the incident occurred directly in front of her at the Vegetable Market and that she helped protect the victim’s children during the commotion.
The kidnapping was subsequently confirmed by the Edo State Police Command.
Police investigations led to the arrest of Marvelous Isaac on June 18, 2026, following what the command described as a gun battle with operatives of the Intelligence Response Team.
Another suspected member of the group, identified only as Precious, was killed during the operation.
Police said further operations on June 20 led to the arrests of Gift Raphael, Wisdom Michael and Rufus Michael in separate operations in Benin City and parts of Delta State.
The police also said investigators recovered a red Lexus RX 350 SUV, a pump-action shotgun, live cartridges, a motorcycle and more than N2 million in cash during the investigation.
During the subsequent trial, the prosecution tendered a number of exhibits, including a pump-action gun, mobile phone, Lexus SUV and video materials showing police interrogation of the defendants.
Investigating Police Officers also testified before the court, while the prosecution called several witnesses before closing its case.
The four defendants had pleaded not guilty when arraigned.
At an earlier stage of the proceedings, victims gave evidence about the alleged activities of the group, with reports indicating that victims connected to the case and related alleged operations testified to paying more than N63 million in ransom.
After the prosecution closed its case, the defendants opened their defence, with Isaac testifying as the first defence witness. The matter subsequently proceeded to final addresses before Tuesday’s judgment.
Justice Momodu also made consequential orders concerning the exhibits tendered during the trial.
The court ordered that the pump-action firearm, two unexpended cartridges and two expended cartridges be confiscated to the Federal Government.
The judge further directed that the exhibits be handed over to the appropriate armoury officer at the Edo State Police Command’s State Criminal Investigation Department for destruction after 30 days.
The court stated in its order that the firearm and ammunition should be handed over through the Deputy Director of the Criminal Division.
The judgment comes about three and a half months after the June 14 kidnapping and follows the Edo State Government’s decision to prioritise the speedy prosecution of kidnapping and cultism-related offences through the Special Criminal Court.
The State Government had, ahead of the judgment, described the case as the court’s first kidnapping case to reach the judgment stage since the special court began sitting in July.
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