The Edo State Special Criminal Court has sentenced four men to death for the brazen abduction of a woman and a string of other violent crimes. The presiding judge, Justice Aigbona Momodu, delivered the sweeping verdict on Tuesday, marking the maiden judgment of the newly established specialized court.

The convicts—Marvellous Isaac, Wisdom Michael, Rufus Emete Michael, and Gift Raphael—were found guilty on an 11-count charge that included kidnapping, conspiracy, armed robbery, cultism, and the unlawful possession of firearms.

The charges stemmed from the June 14, 2026, abduction of a female victim at the bustling Vegetable Market along Airport Road in the state capital.

Delivering the landmark judgment, Justice Momodu stated that the severity of the offenses left the court with no alternative but to impose the maximum penalties stipulated by the law.

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While all four defendants were handed a uniform seven-year prison sentence for the first count of conspiracy, the subsequent charges attracted the ultimate penalty.

The first defendant, Isaac, was sentenced to death by hanging or the administration of a lethal injection for counts two through nine. Furthermore, he was handed a 10-year prison term for the tenth count and life imprisonment for the eleventh count.

Similarly, the second defendant, Wisdom Michael, received the death penalty for counts two through nine. The third defendant, Rufus Emete Michael, was sentenced to death for counts two, three, six, and seven, while the fourth defendant, Raphael, received the same capital punishment for counts two, four, six, and eight.

In addition to the custodial and capital sentences, the presiding judge ordered that the pump-action rifles and live cartridges recovered from the convicts be permanently forfeited to the federal government. The court mandated the police to completely destroy the weapons within 30 days.

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A New Era of Swift Justice

Tuesday’s ruling represents a significant milestone in Edo State’s judicial and security landscape. It is the very first judgment delivered by the Edo Special Court since its inception earlier this year.

In June, the Chief Judge of Edo State, Justice Daniel Okungbowa, officially constituted the special court to accelerate the prosecution of cultism and kidnapping cases.

The specialized tribunal was established following a direct request from the state governor, Monday Okpebholo, as part of his administration’s broader security strategy to decisively tackle violent crimes and rid the state of criminal syndicates.