Edo Special Court Sentences Four to Death Over Kidnapping, Armed Robbery and Cultism
Edo Special Court Sentences Four to Death Over Kidnapping, Armed Robbery and Cultism
The Edo State Special Criminal Court has sentenced four defendants to death following their conviction on multiple charges arising from the daylight abduction of a woman in Benin City.
Justice Aigbona Terry Momodu delivered the judgment on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, in what has been reported as the court’s first completed kidnapping trial since its establishment. The defendants were identified as Marvellous Isaac, Wisdom Michael, Rufus Emete Michael and Gift Raphael.
The case followed the abduction of a woman on June 14, 2026, at the Vegetable Market along Airport Road in Benin City, Edo State. The four defendants faced an 11-count charge involving kidnapping, conspiracy, armed robbery, cultism and unlawful possession of firearms.
Rufus Emete Michael Receives Death Sentence on Five Counts
Rufus Emete Michael, listed as the third defendant, was sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment on Count One.
For Counts Two, Three, Four, Six and Seven, however, the court imposed the death penalty, specifying hanging or the administration of a lethal injection.
The court’s pronouncement stated:
“Third defendant, in count one, you, Rufus Emete Michael, are hereby sentenced to seven years imprisonment.
“In count two, three, four, six, and seven, you, Rufus Emete Michael, are hereby sentenced to death by hanging or through the administration of a lethal injection.
“You shall be hanged by the neck until you are dead. May the Lord have mercy on you.”
The sentencing formed part of a broader judgment against all four defendants.
How the Other Defendants Were Sentenced
The first defendant, Marvellous Isaac, received seven years’ imprisonment on Count One. He was sentenced to death by hanging or lethal injection on Counts Two through Nine. He also received 10 years’ imprisonment on Count Ten and life imprisonment on Count Eleven.
The second defendant, Wisdom Michael, was sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment on Count One and death by hanging or lethal injection on Counts Two through Nine.
The fourth defendant, Gift Raphael, received seven years’ imprisonment on Count One and death sentences on Counts Two, Four, Six and Eight.
Judge Says the Law Left Him With No Discretion
While delivering the judgment, Justice Momodu reportedly indicated that the sentences imposed were prescribed by law and that the court did not have discretion to substitute lesser penalties where the relevant offences carried mandatory punishment.
“My hands are tied under the law,” the judge said, according to reports of the proceedings. He added that he would have exercised discretion if the law permitted him to do so, but that he was required to impose the punishment prescribed by the applicable legislation.
This aspect of the judgment is significant because it places the sentences within the framework of the statutory penalties applicable to the offences for which the defendants were convicted.
Firearm Ordered Confiscated and Destroyed
The court also made an order concerning a JoJef pump-action firearm and four cartridges tendered as exhibits during the trial.
The firearm and ammunition were ordered confiscated to the Federal Government and subsequently handed over to the Edo State Police Armourer at the State Criminal Investigation Department for destruction within 30 days.
Special Court Established to Fast-Track Serious Crime Cases
The judgment comes against the backdrop of Edo State’s creation of a specialised judicial mechanism for cases involving kidnapping and cultism.
Reports indicate that the Edo State Special Criminal Court became operational on July 1, 2026, following steps by the state judiciary to accelerate the determination of serious violent-crime cases. The court was established after a request from the state government and was intended to help reduce delays in the prosecution of kidnapping and cult-related offences.
The Vegetable Market case therefore represents an early test of the state’s effort to use specialised judicial proceedings to deal with serious criminal allegations more quickly.
A Major Judgment in Edo’s Fight Against Kidnapping
The sentencing of the four defendants marks a significant development in the prosecution of kidnapping-related offences in Edo State. The case involved allegations of kidnapping alongside other serious criminal charges, including armed robbery, cultism and unlawful possession of firearms.
For Rufus Emete Michael specifically, the judgment means that while he received a seven-year custodial sentence on Count One, the sentences imposed on five other counts carry the death penalty.
The judgment remains a trial-court decision, and the legal process may be subject to any rights of appeal available under Nigerian law. The actual implementation of a death sentence is also a separate legal and administrative process from the pronouncement of the sentence itself.
The case has nevertheless drawn attention to the Edo State judiciary’s renewed focus on the prosecution of kidnapping and other violent crimes, as authorities seek faster resolution of cases that have generated significant security concerns across the state.
