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.
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