10/01/2026
BREAKING NEWS: EDO SPECIAL COURT SENTENCES FOUR TO DEATH OVER VEGETABLE MARKET KIDNAPPING
The Edo State Special Criminal Court has sentenced four people to death following their conviction over the kidnapping of a woman at the Vegetable Market along Airport Road in Benin City.
The incident happened on June 14, 2026, when the woman was abducted in broad daylight.
The four convicts
Marvellous Isaac,
Wisdom Michael,
Rufus Emete Michael
Gift Raphael
were tried on an 11-count charge involving kidnapping, conspiracy, armed robbery, cultism and unlawful possession of fi****ms.
Justice Aigbona Momodu delivered the judgment on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, in what was reported as the court’s first kidnapping judgment since the special court was established.
The sentences varied according to the counts. Several of the counts attracted the death penalty by hanging or lethal injection, while other counts resulted in prison terms, including seven years, 10 years and life imprisonment.
The court also ordered that fi****ms and am******on tendered as exhibits be handed over to the police armoury for destruction.
The case has drawn attention because it followed a daylight kidnapping at a busy market and became one of the cases handled by Edo State’s newly established Special Criminal Court.
This post is based on reports of the court judgment. No graphic footage is being shared.
What are your thoughts on the court’s judgment and the need for stronger measures against kidnapping?
👇 Share your thoughts respectfully in the comments.
