The Supreme Court has affirmed the death sentence by hanging imposed on Delta-based kidnap convict, Halim Chelynor, bringing an end to his appeal against the judgment.
In a unanimous decision delivered on Friday, a five-member panel of the apex court dismissed the appeal, ruling that it lacked merit.
Chelynor was convicted by a High Court in Asaba, Delta State, in 2017 after the court found sufficient evidence linking him to acts of kidnapping and armed robbery.
The prosecution established that on February 9, 2014, the convict and his accomplices abducted a woman, Joan Osemene, and took her to an undisclosed location in Ibusa, Delta State.
During the trial, Osemene testified that Chelynor slapped her, threatened her with a gun and later covered her nose with a substance-soaked cloth that rendered her unconscious.
She further told the court that the gang, led by Edozie Obude, searched her, seized her ATM card and N10,000 cash, and later withdrew N55,000 from her bank account.
According to her testimony, the kidnappers tied her hands and legs before abandoning her at another location. She eventually managed to free herself and escape to a nearby road.
In a dramatic twist, the victim flagged down a motorcycle rider for help, only to discover it was one of her abductors.
Recognising Chelynor, she raised an alarm, prompting passersby to apprehend him before he could escape.
The convict was subsequently handed over to the Department of State Services, where he reportedly led operatives to the gang’s hideout. A gun battle later broke out during the operation, resulting in the death of gang leader Obude.
Delivering the lead judgment, Justice Chioma Nwosu-Iheme held that the evidence presented during the trial clearly established the appellant’s participation in the crime and confirmed his identity as a member of the kidnapping gang.
The court consequently dismissed appeal number SC/CR/913/2022 and upheld the death sentence imposed by the lower court.
