The Edo State Special Criminal Court sitting in Benin City has delivered its maiden judgment in a high-profile kidnapping case, sentencing four convicted defendants to death on multiple counts arising from the abduction of a woman at the Vegetable Market along Airport Road.
Among those sentenced is Rufus Emete Michael, who received a seven-year prison term on Count One and death sentences on several other counts. The judgment was delivered on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, by Justice Aigbona Terry Momodu.
In the case of Michael, the court pronounced:
“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.”
The court further pronounced the customary capital-sentence wording:
“You shall be hanged by the neck until you are dead. May the Lord have mercy on you.”
The judgment represents the first major ruling from the newly established Edo State Special Criminal Court, created specifically to handle kidnapping, cultism and related serious criminal matters. The court began operating on July 1, 2026, following a directive from Governor Monday Okpebholo requesting an accelerated judicial process for such cases.
How the Case Began
The case followed the alleged broad-daylight abduction of a woman at the Vegetable Market along Airport Road in Benin City on June 14, 2026. According to evidence earlier presented before the court, armed men reportedly intercepted the victim and took her away in a Lexus RX 350.
Four defendants — Marvellous Isaac, Wisdom Michael, Rufus Emete Michael and Gift Raphael — were subsequently prosecuted over charges involving kidnapping, conspiracy, armed robbery, cultism and unlawful possession of firearms. They had initially pleaded not guilty to the allegations.
During the trial, prosecution witnesses gave accounts of alleged kidnappings and ransom payments. Reports from the proceedings said victims testified that more than ₦63 million had been paid in ransom across incidents linked to the alleged syndicate. Exhibits tendered included a Lexus SUV, a pump-action firearm, mobile phones and other materials connected to the investigation.
The prosecution called seven witnesses before closing its case, while the defence challenged aspects of the evidence and maintained its constitutional responsibility to defend the accused persons.
Four Defendants Receive Capital Sentences
The judgment saw all four defendants receive death sentences on multiple counts, although the specific counts differed.
According to reports of the judgment, Wisdom Michael received seven years imprisonment on Count One and death sentences on several other counts, while Gift Raphael received seven years on Count One and death sentences on Counts Two, Four, Six and Eight. Rufus Emete Michael received seven years on Count One and death sentences on Counts Two, Three, Four, Six and Seven.
The court also ordered the confiscation of a JoJef pump-action firearm and four cartridges tendered as exhibits, directing that the items be handed over to the Edo State Police Armourer for destruction within 30 days.
The ruling marks a significant early test for Edo State's specialised judicial approach to kidnapping and violent crime. It also underscores the distinction between arrest and conviction: the defendants were prosecuted after a full trial in which the prosecution presented evidence and the defence was given an opportunity to challenge the case.
The death sentences announced by the court are judicial pronouncements and form part of the legal process applicable to the convictions. The case therefore places renewed attention on the prosecution of kidnapping offences, the administration of capital punishment and the broader question of how specialised courts can address serious violent crime in Edo State.
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