Lucky Obukohwo, Reporting
An Edo State High Court has sentenced four persons to death by hanging for their involvement in the abduction and murder of Benin-based lawyer, Barrister Osobase Omo-Iyoha, bringing to a close a high-profile case that has drawn public attention since 2020.
Recalled that Omo-Iyoha, a father of four, was killed in May 2020 in a case that sparked outrage across Edo State and within the legal community.
According to police investigations, the lawyer was abducted on May 9, 2020, at Evbuomodu Village in the Aduwawa area of Benin City following an altercation involving a group allegedly led by Osasu Osadolor, popularly known as “Afro.”
Witnesses told investigators that Omo-Iyoha attempted to intervene in a dispute before he was attacked, beaten, and forcibly taken away in a vehicle by the suspects.
Police said the lawyer was subsequently assaulted with wood, cutlasses, and other dangerous objects before being killed. His body was allegedly buried in a shallow grave in a bush around Aduwawa.
During the investigation, some of the suspects reportedly led detectives to the burial site, where the victim’s remains were exhumed.
The Edo State Police Command initially arrested five suspects in connection with the crime.
They were identified as Osasu Osadolor, Emmanuel David, Valentine Dibie, Uwadia Taiwo Uhumwagho, and Saturday Imagbe.
Investigators also recovered a blood-stained cutlass, shovels, a hoe, and vehicles believed to have been used in carrying out the crime.
In September 2021, police announced the re-arrest of Valentine Dibie, who had escaped during the 2020 Benin prison break.
Four additional suspects, Solomon Esuike, Onobun Solomon, Enoma Okuonghae, and Ambrose Amaohin, also known as Onyeka were later arrested and charged in connection with the abduction and murder.
Delivering judgment, the Edo State High Court held that the prosecution successfully proved its case beyond reasonable doubt against four of the defendants. The court consequently convicted them and sentenced them to death by hanging.
The judgment, which has generated widespread reactions across Edo State, marks the culmination of years of investigation and prosecution following the killing of the lawyer.
The murder had earlier drawn condemnation from members of the legal profession, with the local branch of the Nigerian Bar Association demanding justice for their slain colleague.
The case remains one of the most notable murder prosecutions in Edo State in recent years, with many observers viewing the court’s decision as a significant step in the pursuit of justice for Barrister Osobase Omo-Iyoha and his family.
