Victims of the Vegetable Market kidnapping incident and other abduction cases in Edo State have recounted in court how kidnappers collected more than N63 million in ransom before releasing them.

The victims, who testified as prosecution witnesses in the trial of an alleged kidnapping syndicate before the Edo State Special Court for Cultism and Kidnapping, gave their evidence while being led by the Solicitor-General and Permanent Secretary, Edo State Ministry of Justice, Stephen Okoror.

One of the witnesses, Mrs Precious Oseghale, told the court that she was abducted at the Vegetable Market alongside her husband and children when they went to purchase food items after a church service.

According to her, the four abductors, who were armed with a pump-action gun, attempted to kidnap both her and her husband, but he managed to escape.

She said the abductors overpowered her, dragged her into their vehicle and took her into the forest.

She said she was eventually released after a ransom was paid to her captors, who had also dispossessed her of jewellery, including a wristwatch, earrings and hand chains worth more than N15 million.

Another victim, identified simply as Paul, the owner of the Lexus RX 350 Jeep allegedly used by the accused in their kidnapping activities, told the court that the accused abducted him from his wife’s pharmacy on April 23, 2026, opposite Ekehuan Army Barracks in Benin City.

He said he paid a ransom of N5.5 million, in addition to surrendering his vehicle and wedding ring, which were forcefully taken by the accused.

“My grey-coloured Lexus RX 350 Jeep was repainted red, while the vehicle registration number was also changed,” he said.

He told the court that the suspects kept the vehicle for about one month and two weeks before it was recovered following their arrest by security agencies.

Another witness recounted that his family paid N12.47 million in ransom, in addition to the N35,000 cash allegedly taken from his pocket by the suspects.

An elderly woman also told the court that she was kidnapped from her residence on Siluko Road, Benin City, on March 8, 2025.

She alleged that she paid N25 million to the suspects and an additional N5 million to another kidnapping gang to whom her abductors had handed her over before she finally regained her freedom. (Daily Trust)

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