A High Court in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, has sentenced a Nigerian national, Ibekwe Emeka Augustine, to death by hanging after finding him guilty of murdering his four-year-old step-grandson in a horrific incident that occurred six years ago.
The judgment was delivered on Thursday by Justice K. Muniandy, who ruled that the prosecution had proven its case beyond reasonable doubt after a comprehensive review of the evidence presented during the trial.
According to Malaysian daily Berita Harian, the 48-year-old Augustine was convicted of killing the child by throwing him from the third floor of an apartment building in Setapak, a suburb of the Malaysian capital. The offence was committed between 7:45 a.m. and 8:15 a.m. on November 29, 2020.
Augustine was charged under Section 302 of Malaysia’s Penal Code, which prescribes a mandatory death sentence, or alternatively, a prison term of between 30 and 40 years with not fewer than 12 strokes of the cane for murder.
In addition to the death sentence, the court also handed Augustine a five-year prison term, to run concurrently, after convicting him on four other criminal charges arising from the same incident and location. These included attempting to murder his seven-year-old biological son, causing grievous hurt to his wife, attempting suicide, and sexually assaulting his stepdaughter.
The charge of attempted murder of his biological son was filed under Section 307 of the Penal Code, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment and a fine.
For intentionally causing grievous hurt to his wife, who was 48 years old at the time, Augustine was charged under Section 325 read together with Section 326A of the Penal Code, an offence punishable by up to seven years’ imprisonment and a fine.
The case has drawn widespread attention due to the severity of the crimes and the strict application of Malaysian criminal law, particularly in offences involving violence against children and family members.
Augustine remains in custody following the ruling, with any further legal action expected to proceed through Malaysia’s appellate process.
Elijah Adeyemi
