Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
An Edo State High Court sitting in Benin City has sentenced five men to death by hanging for the abduction and murder of a legal practitioner, Barrister Iyoha Osobase, who was beaten to death and buried in a shallow grave six years ago. The court, presided over by Justice Efe Ikpomwonba, delivered the judgment in a closely watched trial that has lasted more than half a decade, bringing a measure of closure to one of the state’s most high‑profile criminal cases.
The convicts are Valentine Debbie, Solomon Onobu, Ambrose Amadi, Enoma Okunghae and Saturday Imagbe. They were found guilty of conspiracy, kidnapping and murder in Charge No. B/CD/136C/22, The State versus Valentine Dibie and Five Others. Each of the five men was sentenced to 14 years imprisonment for conspiracy and abduction, and death by hanging for murder. Justice Ikpomwonba ordered that the 14‑year prison terms run concurrently. The court also discharged and acquitted a sixth defendant, Solomon Esuike, ruling that the prosecution had failed to provide sufficient evidence to link him to the crime.
The case dates back to May 9, 2020, when Osobase, a Benin‑based lawyer and father of four, was attacked in the Aduwawa area of Ikpoba‑Okha Local Government Area. According to court records and prosecution witnesses, the lawyer had intervened in a street quarrel between the family of a local chief and another individual. The convicts reportedly assaulted him, beat him to a pulp and then whisked him away to an unknown location. His lifeless body was later discovered by the police in a shallow grave at Aduwawa.
Delivering the judgment, Justice Ikpomwonba held that the prosecution, led by former Edo State Director of Public Prosecutions Orobosa Okunbor, had successfully proved its case against five of the defendants beyond reasonable doubt. “It is clear that the prosecution successfully proved its case against five of you beyond reasonable doubt,” the judge stated. She noted that the evidence, including witness testimony and forensic examinations, clearly established the involvement of the five convicts in the conspiracy, abduction and brutal murder of the lawyer.
However, the judge found that the evidence against the second defendant, Solomon Esuike, was insufficient to sustain the charges. “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 ruled. Esuike was represented by Douglas Ogbankwa, alongside A.P. Uzor and S.A. Idemudia, who successfully challenged the prosecution’s case against their client, securing the only acquittal among the six defendants who stood trial.
The sixth suspect, identified as Osasu Osadolor, the prime suspect in the abduction and murder, remains at large. Police investigations at the time of the incident revealed that Osadolor, known locally as “Afro”, had been the gang leader. In initial confessions to the police in June 2020, he had admitted that Osobase engaged him and his friend in a fight and that during the scuffle the lawyer was hit on the head and died. The other convicts also confessed at the time to conspiracy, kidnapping and the murder.
The case attracted national attention, with prominent legal and political figures calling for justice. Among them was the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Chief Festus Keyamo (SAN), who urged authorities to ensure a thorough investigation and prosecution of those responsible for the lawyer’s killing.
Speaking after the judgment, Barrister Douglas Ogbankwa, counsel to the discharged and acquitted defendant, described the verdict as commendable. He said his client was discharged and acquitted after the court found that he had no link to the incident. The prosecution team, led by Orobosa Okunbor, presented witnesses and documentary evidence during the protracted trial, which has remained a major reference point within the Edo State legal community.
The judgment brings to a close a criminal trial that has been watched closely by the legal profession and the public for six years. For the family of Iyoha Osobase, the verdict offers a measure of justice, though the prime suspect remains at large. The five convicts are currently in custody and are expected to appeal the judgment, which is automatic in capital cases.
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