The Supreme Court of Nigeria has upheld the death sentence by hanging imposed on a convicted kidnapper, Chelynor Halim, for his involvement in kidnapping and armed robbery in Delta State.
In a unanimous judgment delivered by a five-member panel, the apex court dismissed Halim’s appeal, describing it as lacking in merit.
The conviction stemmed from a 2017 judgment of a High Court sitting in Asaba, which found Halim guilty of armed robbery and kidnapping based on evidence presented during the trial.
The court heard that Halim and members of his gang kidnapped a woman, Joan Osemene, on Feb. 9, 2014, and took her to an unknown location in Ibusa, Delta State.
According to evidence before the trial court, the victim was assaulted, threatened with a gun and rendered unconscious after a substance was allegedly applied to a cloth placed over her nose.
The victim testified that the gang seized her Automated Teller Machine (ATM) card and N10,000 cash before withdrawing N55,000 from her bank account.
She further told the court that her hands and legs were tied before she was abandoned at another location.
After freeing herself, she escaped and reached a major road where she flagged down a motorcyclist for assistance.
The motorcyclist was later identified as Halim, whom she recognised as one of her attackers.
The victim immediately raised an alarm, leading to his arrest by members of the public before he was handed over to security operatives.
Investigations later led operatives to the gang’s hideout, where a gun battle reportedly resulted in the death of the gang leader, Edozie Obude.
In the lead judgment read by Justice Chioma Nwosu-Iheme, the Supreme Court held that the prosecution had established the appellant’s participation in the crimes beyond reasonable doubt.
The court ruled that the evidence presented during the trial clearly placed Halim at the scene of the crime and confirmed his involvement in the kidnapping operation.
Consequently, the apex court affirmed the decisions of the lower courts and upheld the sentence of death by hanging.
The judgment comes amid growing concerns over kidnapping and other violent crimes in parts of the country, with security agencies intensifying efforts to curb the menace.
