Apex Court Upholds Death by Hanging for Convicted Kidnapper Chelynor Halim

The Supreme Court has affirmed the death sentence handed to convicted kidnapper Chelynor Halim, bringing to an end his legal challenge against the ruling of a Delta State High Court.

In a unanimous decision on Friday, a five-member panel of the apex court dismissed the appeal filed by Halim, describing it as lacking merit.

Halim was found guilty in 2017 by a High Court in Asaba, which held that the evidence before it sufficiently proved his involvement in kidnapping and armed robbery.

Court records showed that Halim and members of his gang abducted Joan Osemene on February 9, 2014, and took her to an unknown location in Ibusa, Delta State.

During the attack, Halim allegedly slapped the victim, threatened her with a gun, and placed a cloth containing a substance over her nose, causing her to lose consciousness.

The gang’s leader, Edozie Obude, was accused of grabbing Osemene by the throat, striking her neck with a metal object, and directing other gang members to search her belongings.

The victim testified that the kidnappers seized her ATM card and N10,000 in cash before withdrawing N55,000 from her account.

She told the court that she was later tied up and abandoned at another location but managed to free herself and escape.

While seeking transportation away from the area, she flagged down a motorcyclist and immediately recognised him as one of her abductors. She raised an alarm, and nearby residents apprehended the suspect before he could flee.

Following his arrest, Halim was handed over to DSS operatives and later guided them to the gang’s hideout. A subsequent shootout led to the death of the gang leader, Obude.

Reading the lead judgment, Justice Chioma Nwosu-Iheme held that the prosecution successfully established Halim’s identity and role in the kidnapping operation.

The apex court consequently dismissed appeal number SC/CR/913/2022 and upheld the sentence of death by hanging.

The ruling comes at a time when Nigeria continues to grapple with a surge in kidnapping cases, including recent attacks on schools in Oyo and Borno states where dozens of pupils were abducted and efforts to secure their release remain ongoing.

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