From Ebohon Joan
Justice Aigbona Momodu of the Edo State Special Criminal Court has sentenced four persons to death for their involvement in the kidnapping of a woman at the Vegetable Market along Airport Road in Benin City.
The judgment, delivered on Tuesday, marked the court’s maiden judgment in a kidnapping case since its establishment.
The convicts were tried on an 11-count charge bordering on kidnapping, conspiracy, armed robbery, cultism and unlawful possession of firearms.
The case stemmed from the broad-daylight abduction of the woman on June 14, 2026, at the Vegetable Market along Airport Road, Benin City.
The Edo State Special Criminal Court was established on July 1, 2026, with a mandate to handle kidnapping- and cultism-related cases and expedite the prosecution of violent crimes in the state.
The court’s latest judgment underscores the state’s continued efforts to fast-track the prosecution of cases involving serious violent crimes.
