Supreme Court Upholds Capital Punishment For Kidnapper

According to Ireporter Online, the Supreme Court on Friday affirmed the death sentence imposed on a Delta-based convict, Chelynor Halim, bringing to a close his long-running appeal over his involvement in kidnapping and armed robbery.

In a unanimous ruling delivered by a five-member panel, the apex court held that Halim’s appeal lacked merit and consequently upheld the earlier decision of a Delta State High Court sitting in Asaba, which convicted him in 2017 for his role in violent crimes including kidnapping.

The trial court had established that Halim participated in the abduction of Joan Osemene on February 9, 2014, in Ibusa, Delta State. Evidence presented showed that the victim was attacked by a gang that assaulted her, threatened her with a firearm, and administered a substance that rendered her unconscious.

Court records further revealed that the gang, led by an individual identified as Edozie Obude, forcibly dispossessed the victim of her ATM card and cash, later withdrawing additional funds from her account. The victim was also restrained and moved to another location before being abandoned.

Despite the ordeal, Osemene managed to escape and later encountered Halim while seeking help from a motorcyclist. Recognising him as one of her assailants, she raised an alarm, which led to his immediate arrest by bystanders before he was handed over to the Department of State Services. Investigations reportedly led operatives to the gang’s hideout, where the gang leader was killed during a confrontation.

Delivering the lead judgment, Justice Chioma Nwosu-Iheme affirmed that the evidence clearly linked Halim to the crime, stating that his presence at the scene and involvement in the criminal act were sufficiently proven.

The Supreme Court subsequently dismissed the appeal marked SC/CR/913/2022 and upheld the sentence of death by hanging.

The ruling comes amid ongoing concerns over rising kidnapping incidents across Nigeria, with recent cases reported in parts of Borno and Oyo States involving the abduction of dozens of schoolchildren during coordinated attacks.