An Edo State High Court sitting in Benin City on Wednesday sentenced five persons to death by hanging for their roles in the abduction and murder of a legal practitioner, Iyoha Osobase.
The court, however, discharged and acquitted one of the defendants, Solomon Esuike, citing insufficient evidence.
Delivering judgement in Charge No. B/CD/136C/22, the State v. Valentine Dibie and five others, the presiding judge, Justice Efe Ikpomwonba, held that the prosecution proved its case against five of the defendants beyond a reasonable doubt.
The court consequently convicted the five defendants on charges of conspiracy, kidnapping and murder, imposing various prison terms and the death penalty by hanging.
Justice Ikpomwonba said, “It is clear that the prosecution successfully proved its case against five of you beyond a 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 judgement brought to an end one of the most closely watched criminal trials in Edo State, stemming from the abduction and killing of Osobase, who was reportedly attacked, beaten to death and buried in a shallow grave in the Aduwawa area of Benin City on May 9, 2020.
Esuike’s defence team, led by Douglas Ogbankwa, alongside A.P. Uzor and S.A. Idemudia, successfully challenged the prosecution’s case against their client, securing the only acquittal among the six defendants who stood trial.
The prosecution was led by a former Edo State Director of Public Prosecutions, Orobosa Okunbor, who presented witnesses and documentary evidence during the protracted trial.
The case attracted national attention, with prominent legal and political figures calling for justice.
Among them was the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, who had urged authorities to ensure a thorough investigation and prosecution of those responsible for the lawyer’s killing.
The verdict brings to a close a case that has remained a major reference point within Edo State’s legal community since 2020.
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