The Edo State Special Criminal Court has sentenced four persons to death for their involvement in the kidnapping of a woman in the popular Vegetable Market, off Airport Road in Benin City.
Justice Aigbona Momodu gave the judgement on 11-count charges of kidnapping, conspiracy, armed robbery, cultism and unlawful possession of firearms.
The court, established under the directive of Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo, is mandated to handle kidnapping and cultism-related cases, according to the report.
The four sentenced persons – three males and one female – are Marvellous Isaac, 32; Wisdom Michael, 36; Rufus Michael, 30; and Gift Raphael, 27.
According to the court’s verdict, the exhibits recovered from the four sentenced persons – a pump-action rifle, two unexpended cartridges and two expended cartridges – were ordered to be handed over to the State Criminal Investigation Department of the Edo State Police Command.
The abducted victim (name undisclosed) was at the market with her children and husband when gunmen reportedly came to the scene and whisked her away.
In a video online, a woman who claimed to have witnessed the incident described it as kidnapping, stressing, “Today, for the first time, I witnessed someone being kidnapped.”
She continued, “Who said kidnapping is not in Benin? A kidnapping happened in my presence right at Airport Road by the Vegetable Market. Just because it has not happened to you does not mean it doesn’t exist.
“I saved the woman’s children today. This is me. It happened in front of me. We were both buying something in the same place, at the vegetable market. This is me; I have bruises. These are my legs.”
The incident was subsequently confirmed by the State Police Public Relations Officer, Eno Ikoedem.
During the verdict on Tuesday, the judge found the four persons guilty of kidnapping and convicted them accordingly.
The first defendant, Marvelous Isaac, was also convicted of being a member of the Eiye Confraternity and sentenced to death.
They had pleaded not guilty to the charge, but Justice Momodu found them guilty and said they were to die by hanging or lethal injection.
The four convicts were said to have carried out a series of kidnappings, including the June 14 broad daylight abduction of one Oseghale Precious at the Vegetable Market, off Airport Road in Benin.
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