Landmark Edo Kidnapping Trial Ends With Four Death Sentences

The Edo State Special Criminal Court sitting in Benin City is delivering its first judgment in a high-profile kidnapping case involving four defendants accused of abducting a woman at the Vegetable Market along Airport Road.

The case, which began following the June 14, 2026 abduction, has been closely watched as the first major kidnapping trial handled by the special court established by the Edo State judiciary to accelerate the prosecution of kidnapping and cultism cases.

The defendants are Marvellous Isaac, 32; Wisdom Michael, 36; Rufus Emete Michael, 30; and Gift Raphael, 27. They are facing multiple charges bordering on alleged kidnapping, conspiracy, armed robbery, cultism and unlawful possession of firearms.

All four defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The prosecution alleged that the woman was abducted in broad daylight at the Vegetable Market after gunmen reportedly intercepted her vehicle and took her away in an SUV. She was subsequently released unharmed.

The investigation that followed led to the arrest of the four defendants. Police also recovered a red Lexus RX 350 allegedly linked to the operation, alongside other exhibits.

During the trial, prosecution witnesses gave evidence linking the defendants to the alleged kidnapping operation. Earlier proceedings also heard testimony from alleged victims who claimed they had paid millions of naira in ransom in separate incidents allegedly connected to the group.

The prosecution eventually called seven witnesses and closed its case in July. The defendants subsequently opened their defence, with Isaac denying involvement in the alleged kidnapping and telling the court that he did not know two of the other defendants. He acknowledged that Raphael was his girlfriend but denied collecting ransom or participating in the alleged crimes.

At the final stage of proceedings, defence lawyers urged the court to dismiss the charges, arguing that the prosecution had failed to establish a credible link between the defendants and the alleged offences beyond reasonable doubt.

The prosecution, however, maintained that the evidence presented during the trial was sufficient to establish the charges and urged the court to convict the defendants. The court subsequently fixed September 29 for judgment.

The special court was established in July following a request by Edo Governor Monday Okpebholo for a dedicated judicial mechanism to speed up the prosecution of kidnapping and cultism cases. The Chief Judge of Edo State, Justice Daniel Okungbowa, subsequently constituted Special Criminal Court 1 in Benin City.

Okpebholo had previously said anyone convicted of kidnapping would face the full weight of the law and stated that he would sign death warrants where such punishment was imposed in accordance with existing legislation.

The judgment represents an important early case for the newly established court and its stated mandate of speeding up the determination of serious criminal cases in Edo State.