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The Edo State Special Criminal Court sitting in Benin City has sentenced four members of a kidnapping syndicate to death by hanging for kidnapping and other violent crimes.
The judgment, which is the first to be delivered by the Special Court since its creation, was delivered on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, by Justice Terry Momodu Aigbona after a hearing that lasted over three hours.
Those convicted and sentenced are:
- Marvelous Isaac, 32 – identified as gang leader
- Gift Raphael, 27
- Wisdom Michael, 36
- Rufus Emete Michael, 30
The court found them guilty on an 11-count charge bordering on kidnapping, conspiracy, armed robbery, cultism and unlawful possession of firearms.
Justice Aigbona convicted Isaac Marvelous on all 11 counts and sentenced all four convicts to death, ordering that they be executed by hanging or through administration of lethal injection. The Judge, who was reportedly in tears while pronouncing judgment, also handed down various prison terms and ordered that firearms recovered from the convicts and tendered as exhibits including a pump-action shotgun and cartridges, be handed over to the Federal Government.
The issue:
The case arose from the broad daylight abduction of a woman, identified as Oseghale Precious, at the Vegetable Market along Airport Road, Benin City, on June 14, 2026. The woman was with her husband and children when gunmen using an SUV whisked her away. She was released unharmed two days later following police investigation.
Following the incident, Governor Monday Okpebholo directed the establishment of the Special Criminal Court on July 1, 2026, to accelerate trial of kidnapping and cultism cases, vowing that convicted kidnappers would face capital punishment and that he would personally sign death warrants.
During trial, the prosecution called several witnesses including victims and police investigators, and tendered exhibits including video recordings of interrogations, written statements, a Lexus RX 350 SUV allegedly used for the operation, and a mobile phone.
The court held that the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt.
The judgment has attracted large crowd at the court premises and is seen as a litmus test for the Okpebholo administration’s war against kidnapping and cultism in Edo State.