National News – The Supreme Court has affirmed the death sentence by hanging imposed on a Delta State-based kidnapper, Chelynor Halim, bringing an end to his legal challenge against the conviction.
In a unanimous judgment delivered on Friday, a five-member panel of the apex court dismissed Halim’s appeal, describing it as lacking merit and upholding the decisions of the lower courts.
Halim was convicted in 2017 by a High Court in Asaba, Delta State, for his role in a kidnapping and armed robbery incident that occurred on February 9, 2014.
Court records showed that the convict, alongside members of his gang, abducted a woman identified as Joan Osemene and took her to an undisclosed location in Ibusa, Delta State. During the ordeal, the victim was reportedly assaulted, threatened with a firearm and rendered unconscious after a cloth containing an unknown substance was placed over her nose.
The victim told the trial court that the gang, led by one Edozie Obude, searched her and dispossessed her of N10,000 cash and an ATM card. The kidnappers subsequently withdrew N55,000 from her bank account before abandoning her at another location with her hands and legs tied.
She later managed to free herself and escape. While seeking help, she flagged down a motorcyclist whom she immediately recognised as one of her abductors. Her alarm attracted bystanders who apprehended the suspect and handed him over to security operatives.
Investigations by the Department of State Services (DSS) led to the arrest of other gang members after Halim reportedly guided operatives to their hideout. A shootout during the operation resulted in the death of the gang leader, Obude.
Delivering the lead judgment, Justice Chioma Nwosu-Iheme held that the prosecution had sufficiently established the identity of the appellant and proved beyond reasonable doubt that he participated in the crimes.
The court consequently dismissed Appeal No. SC/CR/913/2022 and affirmed the death sentence handed down by the trial court.
The judgment comes amid growing concerns over the persistence of kidnapping across the country, with security agencies continuing efforts to combat the menace and secure the release of victims in various parts of Nigeria.
