The Edo State High Court in Benin City has sentenced five suspects to death by hanging for the kidnapping and murder of one Barrister Osiobase Omo-Iyoha.
DAILY POST reports that Justice Efe Ikponmwonba sentenced five out of the six suspects to death on Wednesday, June 10, 2026.
The convicts, who include Valentine Debbie, Solomon Onobu, Ambrose Amadi, Enoma Okunghae and Saturday Imagbe, were found guilty of conspiracy, abduction and murder.
They were also sentenced to 14 years’ imprisonment, while the sixth suspect, Solomon Esuike, who was arrested alongside the five convicts, was discharged and acquitted.
The convicts reportedly assaulted the Benin-based Barrister Omo-Iyoha on May 9, 2020, and took him away following his intervention in a street quarrel between a local chief’s family and another individual in the Aduwawa area of Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area of the state.
It was also reported that after being beaten to a pulp, the lawyer was whisked away to an unknown location, only for his lifeless body to be discovered by the police in a shallow grave in Aduwawa.
In its judgment in the suit marked B/CD/136C/22 between the State and Valentine Dibie and five others, the court found five of the six accused guilty and sentenced them to 14 years in prison for conspiracy and abduction, and death by hanging for murder.
The presiding judge, Justice Efe Ikponmwonba, said the sentence followed a detailed analysis of the statements of the accused persons and the arguments of both the prosecution and defence counsel.
She held that the prosecution proved its case against five of the defendants beyond reasonable doubt.
She said the 14-year jail terms are to run concurrently.
According to her, the prosecution successfully proved its case against five of the defendants beyond reasonable doubt and they were sentenced accordingly.
“However, the evidence presented against the second defendant, Solomon Esuike, was insufficient to sustain the charges against him and consequently, he is discharged and acquitted,” she said.
Speaking after the judgment, Barrister Douglas Ogbankwa, counsel to the discharged and acquitted defendant, Solomon Esuike, described the judgment as commendable.
Ogbankwa said his client was discharged and acquitted after the court found that he had no link to the incident.
It was alleged that the prime suspect in the abduction and murder case, identified as Osasu Osadolor, is still at large.
