The Edo State Special Criminal Court will on Tuesday, September 29, deliver its first judgment in a kidnapping case arising from the abduction of a woman at the Vegetable Market along Airport Road, Benin City.
The verdict will be the first to be delivered by the court since it was established in July by Governor Monday Okpebholo to fast-track the trial of kidnapping and cultism cases in the state.
The woman was abducted in broad daylight on June 14 by gunmen who reportedly used an SUV, leading to a police investigation and the arrest of several suspects.
Okpebholo had, during a visit to the Edo State Police Command where the suspects were paraded, vowed that anyone found guilty would face the full weight of the law.
The governor said, “whoever is found guilty
One of the suspects, 32-year-old Marvelous Isaac, was arrested on June 18 during a gun duel with operatives of the Police Intelligence Response Team, while another suspected gang member, identified as Precious, was killed during the operation.
The police subsequently arrested Gift Raphael, 27, alongside Wisdom Michael and Rufus Michael.
The victim was released unharmed two days after her abduction.
Police investigations also led to the recovery of a red Lexus RX 350 allegedly used in the operation, a pump-action shotgun with live ammunition, a motorcycle and cash suspected to be proceeds of crime.
The September 29 judgment is expected to be closely watched as the special court begins to demonstrate its mandate of expediting the prosecution of kidnapping and other violent crime cases in Edo State.
