Supreme Court Affirms Death Sentence for Delta Kidnapper Convicted of Abduction and Armed Robbery

Nigeria’s Supreme Court has upheld the death sentence by hanging imposed on convicted kidnapper Chelynor Halim, bringing to an end his appeal against the judgment.

In a unanimous ruling delivered on Friday, a five-member panel of the apex court dismissed Halim’s appeal, declaring it devoid of merit and affirming the decisions of the lower courts.

Halim was convicted by a High Court in Asaba, Delta State, in 2017 for his role in the kidnapping and armed robbery of Joan Osemene, who was abducted on February 9, 2014.

According to evidence presented during the trial, Halim and his accomplices forcefully took the victim to an undisclosed location in Ibusa, Delta State. The court heard that Halim assaulted the victim and threatened her with a firearm before covering her nose with a cloth soaked in a substance that rendered her unconscious.

The gang’s leader, identified as Edozie Obude, was also accused of physically assaulting the victim and ordering a search of her belongings. During the ordeal, the gang reportedly seized Osemene’s ATM card and N10,000 in cash before withdrawing an additional N55,000 from her bank account.

The victim testified that her hands and legs were bound before she was abandoned at another location. She eventually managed to free herself and escape.

In a dramatic turn of events, Osemene later flagged down a motorcyclist while trying to leave the area, only to discover that the rider was one of the men involved in her abduction. Recognizing him as Halim, she raised an alarm, leading nearby residents to apprehend him before he could escape.

Following his arrest, Halim was handed over to operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS). Investigators said he subsequently led security personnel to the gang’s hideout, where a confrontation 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 his direct involvement in the crimes. The court found that the evidence presented during the trial clearly placed him at the scene and linked him to the kidnapping and robbery.

Consequently, the Supreme Court dismissed Appeal No. SC/CR/913/2022 and affirmed the death sentence earlier imposed by the trial court.

The ruling comes as security agencies continue efforts to tackle kidnapping and other violent crimes across Nigeria, amid growing concerns over recent abductions in several parts of the country.