I’ll sign my father’s death warrant if convicted of kidnapping – Okpebholo

Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo has declared that he would not hesitate to sign a death warrant against any of his relatives convicted of kidnapping, insisting that nobody would be spared under his administration’s anti-kidnapping campaign.

The governor made the declaration on Monday in Benin, where he reaffirmed his government’s determination to ensure that those found guilty of kidnapping face the full penalty prescribed by law.

“I pray our brothers are not involved because I would sign you too. In any case, my father, I would sign you,” Okpebholo said.

He argued that the state must remove criminal elements to restore public safety, despite the consequences of enforcing the death penalty.

“The truth is this: we just have to get some bad elements out of the system, for the system to stand.

“And because somebody would die… but these people are killing people, and many people are being killed,” he said.

Okpebholo also cited the experience of Edo State Chief Judge, whose hand he said was severed by kidnappers, as an example of the brutality of kidnapping in the state.

“Even our chief judge, if you see our chief judge, one of his hands was cut off by kidnappers. But a few days ago I asked my attorney-general what happened,” he said.

The governor said he had been waiting for the relevant legal documents before taking further action in the case, but was informed that the convicts had appealed their sentences.

“I’ve been waiting for the paper. He said they appealed. But we’ll still follow them up on the appeal.

“We won’t just leave them to go like that. So we’ll get to wherever they stop. We’ll take them from there.

“We will not spare anybody. If I see this paper today, now, I will sign it, and I will even survive the killing,” he added.

Edo State approved the implementation of the Kidnapping Prohibition (Amendment) Law, 2025, in February 2025. The law introduced the death penalty for kidnapping offences that result in the death of victims.

In September 2026, a special criminal court in Edo sentenced four men to death over the abduction of a woman at Vegetable Market, along Airport Road, Benin City.

The trial judge, Aigbona Momodu, convicted Marvellous Isaac, Wisdom Michael, Rufus Emete Michael and Gift Raphael on an 11-count charge bordering on kidnapping, conspiracy, armed robbery, cultism and unlawful possession of firearms. The abduction took place on June 14, 2026.