The Supreme Court has affirmed the death sentence handed to a convicted kidnapper from Delta State, Chelynor Halim, bringing an end to his legal challenge against the judgment.
In a unanimous ruling delivered on Friday, a five-member panel of the apex court dismissed Halim’s appeal, holding that it lacked merit and upholding the punishment of death by hanging imposed by the lower courts.
The case stemmed from a 2017 judgment of the High Court in Asaba, Delta State, which found that the evidence presented by prosecutors sufficiently linked Halim to offences of kidnapping and armed robbery.
During the trial, the court heard that on February 9, 2014, Halim and other members of his gang abducted a woman identified as Joan Osemene and transported her to a secluded location in Ibusa, Delta State.
Evidence before the court showed that Halim allegedly assaulted the victim and threatened her with a firearm before placing a cloth containing a substance over her nose, causing her to lose consciousness.
The gang’s leader, Edozie Obude, was also said to have violently attacked the victim, gripping her throat, striking her neck with a metal object, and directing gang members to search her belongings.
Testifying before the court, the victim stated that the attackers collected her ATM card and N10,000 cash during the incident. The gang later used the card to withdraw an additional N55,000 from her bank account.
She further told the court that her hands and legs were tied before she was abandoned at another location. After managing to free herself, she escaped and made her way to a major road.
According to her testimony, she flagged down a motorcycle rider in an attempt to get away from the area, only to discover that the rider was one of the men involved in her abduction.
Recognising him, she immediately raised an alarm, attracting the attention of nearby residents who apprehended the suspect before he could escape.
Following his arrest, Halim was handed over to the Department of State Services (DSS). Investigators later used information he provided to locate the gang’s hideout, where a confrontation with security operatives reportedly resulted in the death of the gang leader, Obude.
Delivering the lead judgment, Justice Chioma Nwosu-Iheme ruled that the prosecution had clearly established the identity of the appellant as one of the perpetrators and proved his involvement in the crime beyond doubt.
Consequently, the Supreme Court dismissed the appeal, marked SC/CR/913/2022, and affirmed the death sentence earlier imposed on the convict.
The ruling comes at a time when concerns over kidnapping continue to grow across Nigeria, following recent mass abductions involving schoolchildren and teachers in parts of Oyo and Borno states.