Justice Aigbona Momodu of the Edo State Special Criminal Court has sentenced four persons to death for their roles in the kidnapping of a woman at the Vegetable Market along Airport Road, Benin City.

The judgment, delivered on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, marks the court’s first judgment in a kidnapping case since its establishment.

The convicts were prosecuted on an 11-count charge bordering on kidnapping, conspiracy, armed robbery, cultism and unlawful possession of firearms.

The case arose from the abduction of the woman in broad daylight on June 14, 2026, at the Vegetable Market along Airport Road in Benin City.

Established on July 1, 2026, the Edo State Special Criminal Court was created to handle kidnapping- and cultism-related cases, with a mandate to accelerate the prosecution of violent crimes in the state.

The judgment marks a significant milestone in the court’s operations as the state pursues the speedy prosecution of cases involving serious violent crimes.