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Special Court Delivers Maiden Judgment In Edo Kidnapping Case
Justice Aigbona Momodu convicted the four defendants on 11 counts and ordered their firearms handed to the Federal Government.
On Tuesday, the Edo State Special Criminal Court sentenced four men to death by hanging for kidnapping and cultism, following 11-count charges including conspiracy and armed robbery.
Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo established the Special Criminal Court on July 1, 2026, to expedite prosecution of violent crimes including kidnapping and cultism-related cases.
Justice Terry Momodu Aigbona convicted gang leader Isaac Marvellous, 32, alongside Wisdom Michael, 36, Rufus Michael, 30, and Gift Raphael, 27, for the June 14, 2026, abduction at Vegetable Market on Airport Road in Benin City.
The judge ordered executions by hanging or lethal injection while the court mandated all recovered firearms be forfeited to the Federal Government alongside additional prison terms.
This judgment marks a major proceeding for the Special Criminal Court as it concludes its maiden case, with further details of the legal implications expected to follow.