The Edo State Special Criminal Court sitting in Benin City is scheduled to deliver its first judgment in a kidnapping case on September 29, 2026, arising from the abduction of a woman at the Vegetable Market along Airport Road.
According to an Edo State government publication, the case followed the June 14, 2026 abduction of a woman at the market, after which a police investigation led to the arrest of several suspects.
The publication said the Edo State Special Criminal Court was established in July 2026 following a directive by Governor Monday Okpebholo for the Judiciary to accelerate the trial of kidnapping and cultism cases.
It reported that several suspects were subsequently taken into police custody, while the abducted woman was released unharmed two days after the incident.
The police investigation, according to the publication, traced a red Lexus RX 350 allegedly used in the abduction and resulted in the recovery of a pump-action shotgun with live ammunition, a motorcycle and cash suspected to be proceeds of crime.
The September 29 judgment is therefore the first verdict scheduled to be delivered by the Edo State Special Criminal Court in a kidnapping case, according to the state government publication.
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