Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, has declared his readiness to sign the death warrants for four convicts sentenced over a high-profile kidnapping at the Vegetable Market along Airport Road in Benin City, provided they fail to appeal their sentence within the statutory 30-day period. ​
Speaking on Sunday, October 18, 2026, during a thanksgiving and prayer service at God’s People Worldwide Prayer Ministry in Benin City, Governor Okpebholo emphasized that his administration remains steadfast in its resolve to eradicate violent crime, kidnapping, and cultism across the state. ​
Addressing the congregation, the Governor recounted the details surrounding the conviction handed down by an Edo State High Court on September 29, 2026, which sentenced the four men to death for their involvement in the violent abduction of a female trader at the bustling market.
Okpebholo warned that capital punishment would be enforced to serve as a strong deterrent to criminal elements operating in the region. ​”They are already sentenced to death, and I pray they don’t appeal the judgment. Even when they appeal the judgment, they are only delaying time. If within 30 days, they don’t appeal, I will execute,” Okpebholo said. ​
The Governor revealed that prior to embarking on his anti-crime campaigns, he had met with traditional rulers across the three senatorial districts of Edo State to explicitly warn against interceding for convicted criminals or suspect networks.
Recalling earlier security discussions with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu following a spate of abductions in the state, Okpebholo stated that he had assured the President that the state government possessed the political will and resources to restore order independently.
​Governor Okpebholo further stressed that the state’s executive directives targeting criminal infrastructure would proceed unabated, referencing recent demolition exercises carried out on properties associated with cult activities, illegal arms storage, and syndicate operations across Benin City. ​
In his remarks, the Founder and General Overseer of God’s People Worldwide Prayer Ministry, Apostle Ehijele Umuahia, praised the Governor’s uncompromising stance on public security and acknowledged his long-standing commitment to spiritual and community affairs, which dates back more than fifteen years through his political mentorship under the late Chief Tony Anenih.
Apostle Umuahia called on the church community to support the state’s anti-crime initiatives and reminded citizens of their civic duty to combine prayer with active political participation ahead of upcoming governance milestones. ​Under Nigerian constitutional law, capital sentences handed down by state high courts require the official signature of the sitting governor before an execution can be carried out.
As the 30-day appeal window following the September 29 judgment draws to a close, legal observers await whether defense counsel for the four convicts will file an appeal before executive execution orders are prepared by the Edo State Government.
