An Edo State High Court in Benin City condemned five people to death by hanging on Wednesday for their roles in the kidnapping and murder of Iyoha Osobase, a legal practitioner.
The court, however, released and acquitted one of the accused, Solomon Esuike, due to insufficient evidence.
In Charge No. B/CD/136C/22, Justice Efe Ikpomwonba ruled that the prosecution proved its case against five defendants, including Valentine Dibie, beyond a reasonable doubt.
As a result, the court found the five defendants guilty of conspiracy, kidnapping, and murder and sentenced them to varying jail 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 verdict concluded one of Edo State’s most carefully followed criminal prosecutions, which centered on the kidnapping and murder of Osobase, who was allegedly ambushed, beaten to death, and buried in a shallow hole in Benin City’s Aduwawa neighborhood on May 9, 2020.
Esuike’s defense team, led by Douglas Ogbankwa, A.P. Uzor, and S.A. Idemudia, successfully attacked the prosecution’s case against their client, resulting in only the acquittal of the six defendants on trial.
Orobosa Okunbor, a former Edo State Director of Public Prosecutions, led the prosecution and presented witnesses and documentary evidence during the lengthy trial.
The case gained national attention, with major legal and political leaders demanding justice.
Among them was Festus Keyamo, Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, who asked authorities to conduct a comprehensive inquiry and prosecute those guilty for the lawyer’s death.
The ruling comes to an end a lawsuit that has been a focal point in Edo State’s legal community since 2020.
