Supreme Court affirms death sentence for Delta convicted kidnapper

The Supreme Court has upheld the death sentence by hanging imposed on a convicted kidnapper from Delta State, Chelynor Halim.

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

Halim was convicted in 2017 by a High Court sitting in Asaba, Delta State, after the prosecution established his involvement in armed robbery and kidnapping.

The court heard that on February 9, 2014, Halim and his accomplices abducted a woman, Joan Osemene, and took her to an undisclosed location in Ibusa, Delta State.

During the attack, Halim allegedly slapped the victim, threatened her with a firearm, and covered her nose with a substance-soaked cloth that rendered her unconscious.

The prosecution further told the court that the gang leader, identified as Edozie Obude, assaulted the victim and ordered a search during which her ATM card and N10,000 cash were stolen.

The gang subsequently used the ATM card to withdraw N55,000 from Osemene’s bank account.

The victim testified that her hands and legs were tied before she was taken to another location and abandoned. She later managed to free herself and escape to a nearby road, where she stopped a motorcyclist for assistance.

However, the motorcyclist was later identified as Halim, linking him directly to the crime.

After reviewing the evidence and proceedings from the lower courts, the Supreme Court affirmed the conviction and sentence, bringing the legal battle to a close.