The High Court of Edo State, sitting as a Special Criminal Court in Benin City, has sentenced four individuals to death by hanging for their role in the armed abduction of a businesswoman at the Vegetable Market, located off Airport Road. ​
Delivering judgment on Tuesday, September 29, Justice Harrison Omodiagbe held that the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt, convicting the defendants on multi-count charges including conspiracy, armed robbery, and kidnapping under the Edo State Special Kidnapping Law. ​
According to court documents, the crime took place at approximately 6:30 PM on Thursday, May 18, when the victim, a prominent local trader, was ambushed while closing her shop at the bustling Vegetable Market. ​
Witnesses testified that the four convicts arrived in an unmarked blue saloon car, fired shots into the air to scatter bystanders, and forcibly bundled the victim into their vehicle before speeding off toward the bypass along Airport Road.
The victim was held captive in a dense forest near the Ogba River axis for five days until a ransom of ₦15 million was paid by her family. ​The perpetrators were apprehended following a joint intelligence-led operation conducted by the Edo State Police Command’s Anti-Kidnapping Squad and local vigilance networks. ​
Speaking to journalists outside the courtroom following the verdict, the Public Relations Officer for the Edo State Police Command, SP Chidi Nwabuzor, detailed how tracking technology and community intelligence led to the gang’s downfall.
​”Our operatives meticulously tracked the ransom financial footprint and recovered the operational vehicle alongside two unregistered AK-47 rifles used during the May 18 incident,” SP Nwabuzor stated.
“This judgment sends an unequivocal, strong message to criminal elements: Edo State will never be a safe haven for perpetrators of violence.” ​During the proceedings, defense counsel pleaded for leniency, citing the young age of the convicts.
However, Justice Omodiagbe rejected the plea, emphasizing that the violent nature of the offense demanded the maximum penalty prescribed by state law. ​
Addressing the courtroom, the Edo State Solicitor-General and Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Chief Prosecuting Counsel Mrs. Omonigho Ibhadon, praised the court’s decision as a victory for justice and public safety.
​”The state government remains resolute in its commitment to eradicating violent crime,” Mrs. Ibhadon said in a statement following the ruling. “This sentence serves as a stern warning and a clear deterrent to anyone considering taking up arms or abducting citizens for financial gain.”
​The four convicts have been remanded at the Benin Correctional Center along Sapele Road pending the execution of their sentence by the Executive Governor of Edo State.
