(The Supreme Court. Photo by Guardian News)
The Supreme Court has upheld the death sentence of Delta-based kidnapper Chelynor Halim, dismissing his appeal in a unanimous decision by a five-member panel of the apex court.
The case dates back to February 9, 2014, when Halim and his accomplices abducted a woman identified as Joan Osemene, taking her to a location in Ibusa, Delta State.
During the ordeal, Halim allegedly slapped the victim and threatened her with a gun before rendering her unconscious using a cloth soaked in an unknown substance.
Gang leader Edozie Obude allegedly grabbed the victim by the throat, struck her neck with a metal object, and ordered that she be searched.
The gang seized her ATM card and N10,000 in cash, later using the card to withdraw an additional N55,000 from her account.
Her hands and legs were tied before she was taken to another location and abandoned, from where she eventually freed herself and escaped to a main road.
In a twist of fate, the motorcyclist she flagged down for help turned out to be Halim himself. Recognizing him as one of her attackers, she raised the alarm and bystanders apprehended him before he could flee.
He was subsequently handed over to the Department of State Services, and led operatives to the gang’s hideout, where a shootout resulted in the death of gang leader Obude.
A Delta State High Court in Asaba convicted Halim in 2017 for armed robbery and kidnapping.
In the lead judgment delivered by Justice Chioma Nwosu-Iheme, the Supreme Court found no basis to disturb the lower court’s findings, affirming that the evidence clearly established Halim’s presence and participation in the crime.
The ruling comes amid renewed public concern over kidnappings across Nigeria, including the recent abduction of 42 pupils from schools in Borno State’s Askira Uba and Chibok local government areas, and 40 pupils from schools in Oyo State’s Oriire Local Government Area. Efforts to secure the release of all abducted children remain ongoing.