Supreme Court upholds death by hanging for kidnapper

By Ikechukwu Nnochiri

The Supreme Court, on Friday, confirmed the death penalty by hanging for Chelynor Halim, a convicted kidnapper from Delta State.

In a unanimous ruling, a panel of five justices dismissed Halim’s appeal, finding it unmeritorious.

A 2017 decision by the High Court in Asaba, Delta State, had found that the evidence proved Halim’s participation in an armed robbery and kidnapping.

The trial court recorded that Halim and his accomplices abducted Joan Osemene on 9 February 2014, taking her to an undisclosed location in Ibusa, Delta State.

During the abduction, Halim allegedly struck the victim and threatened her with a gun, then covered her nose with a cloth soaked in a substance that caused her to lose consciousness.

At the scene, the gang leader, identified as Edozie Obude, reportedly seized the victim by the throat, struck her neck with a metal object, and ordered a thorough search of her.

Osemene testified that after the search the gang seized her ATM card and ₦10,000 in cash. They later used the card to withdraw ₦55,000 from her account.

She said her hands and legs were tied and she was taken to another location where the gang abandoned her. She managed to free herself and fled, running until she reached a major road.

There she flagged down a motorcyclist who turned out to be the convict. Recognizing him as one of her attackers, she raised an alarm, and nearby bystanders apprehended the motorcyclist before he could escape.

Halim was then handed over to the Department of State Services (DSS). He led DSS operatives to his gang’s hideout, where a shootout resulted in the death of gang leader Obude.

Justice Chioma Nwosu‑Iheme delivered the lead judgment on Friday, stating that the evidence clearly identified the appellant as a gang member and confirmed his presence at the crime scene.

The Supreme Court rejected appeal SC/CR/913/2022 and upheld Halim’s death sentence by hanging.

The ruling comes amid a surge in kidnappings across Nigeria, including recent abductions of pupils and teachers from schools in Oyo and Borno states.

In Borno, armed groups attacked schools in Askira Uba and Chibok local government areas on 13 and 14 May, abducting 42 pupils. In Oyo, coordinated attacks on 15 May at Baptist Nursery and Primary School, Yawota; Community Grammar School; and L.A. Primary School, Esiele, in Oriire Local Government Area, resulted in the abduction of 40 pupils.

Efforts are ongoing to secure the release of the abductees.

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