Edo Court Hands Down Death Sentence to Five Over Lawyer's Gruesome Murder

In a landmark ruling, the Edo State High Court, sitting in Benin City, has sentenced five individuals to death by hanging for their roles in the abduction and murder of a prominent lawyer, Iyoha Osobase. The judgment, delivered by Justice Efe Ikpomwonba, brought an end to a highly publicized trial that has been closely watched by the legal community in Edo State since the lawyer's killing in 2020. According to the court's findings, the prosecution, led by former Edo State Director of Public Prosecutions, Orobosa Okunbor, successfully proved its case against five of the defendants beyond reasonable doubt. However, the court discharged and acquitted one of the defendants, Solomon Esuike, due to insufficient evidence linking him to the crime. '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,' Justice Ikpomwonba stated. The case has drawn significant attention from senior legal and political figures, including the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Chief Festus Keyamo (SAN), who had called for a thorough investigation and prosecution of those responsible for the lawyer's murder. Osobase was abducted, beaten to death, and buried in a shallow grave in the Aduwawa area of Benin City on May 9, 2020. The defence team for Esuike, 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.