Five Sentenced to Death for Edo Lawyer's Murder

The Edo State High Court in Benin City sentenced five people to death by hanging on Wednesday. They were found guilty of kidnapping and murdering a lawyer, Iyoha Osobase.

The court cleared one of the accused, Solomon Esuike, stating there was not enough evidence to link him to the crime.

Judge Efe Ikpomwonba delivered the ruling in Charge No. B/CD/136C/22, The State versus Valentine Dibie and Five Others. He said the prosecution proved its case against the five defendants beyond a reasonable doubt.

The judge convicted the five on charges of conspiracy, kidnapping, and murder. They received different prison sentences, including death by hanging.

“It is clear that the prosecution successfully proved its case against five of you (the defendants) beyond reasonable doubt. However, the evidence presented against the second defendant, Solomon Esuike, was insufficient to sustain the charges against him. He is hereby discharged and acquitted,” the judge said.

This judgment ends a trial that has drawn a lot of attention in Edo State since Osobase was killed in 2020. Osobase was reportedly kidnapped, beaten to death, and buried in a shallow grave in the Aduwawa area of Benin City on May 9, 2020.

Esuike’s lawyers, Douglas Ogbankwa, A.P. Uzor, and S.A. Idemudia, effectively challenged the prosecution's case. They secured the only acquittal among the six defendants in the trial.

The prosecution was led by Orobosa Okunbor, a former Edo State Director of Public Prosecutions. He presented witnesses and evidence during the trial.

The case also gained national attention, with calls for justice from influential figures, including Chief Festus Keyamo (SAN), the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development. He urged authorities to thoroughly investigate and prosecute those responsible for the lawyer's murder.

With the verdict on Wednesday, the court concluded a trial that has been a major topic in Edo State’s legal community for over six years.