Nigeria: Supreme Court upholds death sentence for Delta kidnapper

The Supreme Court of Nigeria has finalized the legal proceedings for Chelynor Halim, a kidnapper from Delta State, by affirming his death sentence. This decision marks the end of Halim's legal challenges against his conviction.

A five-member panel at the apex court unanimously dismissed Halim's appeal, deeming it without merit and upholding the prior judgments from lower courts. Halim had been found guilty of kidnapping and armed robbery by a High Court in Asaba, Delta State, back in 2017. The case stemmed from the February 9, 2014, abduction of Joan Osemene, whom Halim and his accomplices took to an undisclosed location.

During the attack, evidence presented in court indicated that Halim physically assaulted the victim, threatening her with a gun. He also used a substance to render her unconscious before her ordeal began. The prosecution identified Edozie Obude as the gang leader. The victim testified that the gang stole her ATM card and cash, subsequently withdrawing an additional sum from her bank account using the stolen card. Her hands and legs were tied before she was abandoned, eventually managing to escape and flag down a motorcyclist for help.

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The prosecution had sufficiently established the appellant’s identity and participation in the crimes.

In a twist of fate, the motorcyclist who stopped to assist Osemene turned out to be one of her abductors. Her alarm attracted passersby, leading to the suspect's apprehension. Investigations following Halim's reported cooperation led security operatives to the gang's hideout, where a shootout resulted in the death of the gang leader, Obude.

Justice Chioma Nwosu-Iheme, delivering the lead judgment, stated that the prosecution had successfully proven Halim's involvement in the crimes. The evidence presented firmly placed Halim at the kidnapping scene and linked him to the criminal acts for which he was convicted. Consequently, the Supreme Court dismissed the appeal and confirmed the death sentence by hanging.

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The evidence presented during the trial firmly placed Halim at the scene of the kidnapping and linked him to the criminal acts for which he was convicted.