A Nigerian man has been sentenced to d3ath after being convicted of m8rdering his four-year-old step-grandson in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
LIB reported that Ibekwe Emeka Augustine threw the child from the third floor of an apartment building on Sunday, November 29, 2020 after he failed to rape his stepdaughter, who is the victim’s mother. Read other reports HERE and HERE
High Court judge K. Muniandy sentenced Ibekwe, 48, to d3ath on Friday, January 9, 2025 after finding him guilty of m8rder, ruling that the prosecution had proven the charge beyond a reasonable doubt.
“You are sentenced to death by hanging until you are d3ad. However, you have the right to appeal against the sentence at the Court of Appeal,” the judge said.
Moments before the sentence was passed, Augustine, handcuffed and dressed in a white T-shirt and black trousers, pleaded for leniency.
“I regret everything that happened, and it will not happen again. I remember going swimming and playing football with him. Please have mercy on me. Everything is in your hands,” he said.
Augustine appeared solemn as he was led out of the courtroom. An interpreter was present throughout the proceedings.
He was charged in 2020 with m8rdering the boy between 7.45am and 8.15am at an apartment unit in Setapak on Nov 29, 2020, which carries the d3ath penalty or a jail term between 30 and 40 years upon conviction.
In addition to the m8rder conviction, Augustine was sentenced to one year for one count of attempted suicide, five years for s3xually assaulting his then 25-year-old stepdaughter, five years for attempted m8rder of his son, then aged 7; and 14 years for causing grievous hurt to his wife, then 48, who suffered a broken hip.
Muniandy ordered that all jail sentences run concurrently, which is 14-years, from Augustine’s arrest on Nov 29, 2020.
“All these inhumane and despicable acts of the accused could have been stopped as the accused’s wife attempted to do so, but the accused persisted even after grievously injuring her.
“The victims were all traumatised by the entire incident and had to run away from the home before anything more dreadful was inflicted on them.
“Then they found the grandchild dead on the ground as he was thrown away mercilessly by the accused, who then attempted suicide.
“Such conduct cannot be excused on the grounds of self-intoxication with drugs or his attempt to end his own life,” he said.
In mitigation, defence counsel Zulkifli Awang argued that his client should be spared the death penalty, saying the murder was not premeditated and that his client was not a hardened criminal incapable of rehabilitation.
“The facts show that his actions were due to schizophrenia and that he was of unsound mind, although the court had ruled that self-intoxication is not a defence.
“But I want to stress that what occurred was due to his insanity, due to drug consumption.
“He has been in remand since his arrest, and he is repentant. Imprisonment would be a more appropriate sentence. It is not necessary to take another life,” he said.
Deputy public prosecutor Zaileen Nadia Zubir urged the court to impose the death penalty, stating that Augustine had admitted to committing the acts due to prolonged consumption of drugs and not schizophrenia.
“He dangled the child by the leg outside the window before throwing him out, an act witnessed by the boy’s mother.
“He had admitted that it happened because of drugs and not because of schizophrenia, and he heard voices.
“He knew his actions were wrong and apologised,” she said.
The trial began in January 2024 and concluded in December the same year, with testimony from 22 prosecution witnesses and two defence witnesses, who were Augustine himself and consultant forensic psychiatrist Dr Ian Lloyd Anthony.
After the proceedings, Zulkifli said a notice of appeal against the d3ath sentence would be filed.
The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has rescued 15 persons, including foreign nationals, after uncovering a suspected human trafficking syndicate allegedly operating under the guise of an online marketing company in Nasarawa State.
The rescue followed an operation by the agency in Keffi and Karu local government areas based on credible intelligence about suspicious activities linked to fraudulent online marketing operations.
NAPTIP disclosed this in a statement issued on Wednesday via its X handle.
It said the operation was conducted on May 7, 2026, by officers of its Investigation Department and the Intelligence and International Cooperation Unit.
“Preliminary investigation revealed that fifteen (15) persons comprising four (4) female victims and eleven (11) male victims were found at the location. Among the male victims, three (3) were identified as Nigerians, while others are foreign nationals.
“Findings indicate that the suspects allegedly operated under the guise of an online marketing company to recruit and harbour unsuspecting persons in conditions suspected to be connected to human trafficking, cyber-related exploitation, and other organised criminal activities,” the statement read.
NAPTIP described the development as a serious security and humanitarian concern, citing the deceptive recruitment methods allegedly used by the traffickers and the vulnerability of victims to exploitation.
It said investigations were ongoing to uncover the full extent of the network and arrest other collaborators linked to the syndicate.
The agency also reiterated its commitment to combating human trafficking and urged members of the public to report suspicious recruitment activities and movements within their communities to relevant authorities.
Officers of the Akwa Ibom State Police Command have apprehended suspected vandals in connection with the looting and theft of items from a truck involved in an accident along the Calabar–Itu Highway.
A statement issued by the command’s Public Relations Officer, DSP Timfon John, in Uyo on Monday said the suspects were arrested on Sunday, while vandalising and stealing from a truck that had fallen into a valley at the Afaha community located along the Highway.
According to the statement, the operatives, after credible intelligence, mobilised to the scene and arrested one Adamu Hamza, aged 19, and a native of Maiduguri, Borno State, who was found in possession of four suspected stolen truck tyres.
In a follow-up operation, they also arrested the tricycle operator, one Anthony James, who was allegedly used to convey the stolen items from the scene.
The statement reads in part, “The Akwa Ibom State Police Command has recorded another operational breakthrough following the arrest of suspected vandals involved in the looting and theft of items from an accidented truck along the Calabar–Itu Highway.
“On 10th May, 2026, at about 22:00 hours, Operatives of the Command acted swiftly on credible intelligence received through a tricycle operator regarding the activities of criminal elements vandalizing and stealing from a truck that had fallen into a valley at Afaha along the Calabar–Itu Highway.
“Acting promptly on the information, Police operatives mobilized to the scene and successfully arrested one Adamu Hamza ‘M’, aged 19, a native of Maiduguri, in possession of four suspected stolen truck tyres, with the value yet to be ascertained.
“Further investigation led to the arrest of the tricycle operator, one Anthony James, who was allegedly used to convey the stolen items from the scene.”
DSP John, who disclosed that the suspects are currently in Police custody, noted that efforts are ongoing to apprehend other fleeing accomplices connected to the criminal act.
She stated that the commissioner of police in the state, CP Baba Mohammed Azare, has warned all criminal elements to desist from looting accident scenes, and has also reiterated the command’s commitment to strengthening its surveillance and deploying intelligence-driven policing strategies to safeguard lives and property across the state.
She called on members of the public to continue providing timely and credible information to the Police, urging them to remain law-abiding and security-conscious at all times.
Gunmen have opened fire on the head office of a local security outfit, codenamed OSPAC, at Erema Street in Omoku town, Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State, injuring one officer. OSPAC is the acronym for Onelga Security and Peace Advisory Committee.
It was gathered that the incident which occurred at about 8:10pm on Saturday night caused pandemonium as residents and passersby scampered for safety.
Though the reason for the attack could not be ascertained as at the time of filing this report, it was gathered that the assailants rode on two cars, one of which was an ash-coloured Lexus Jeep.
Speaking to newsmen on Sunday, the Public Relations Officer of the security outfit in Rivers State, Godknows Nkem, said its office is a place where people come to lodge various complaints.
Nkem, however, expressed surprise how the gunmen drove into the office and started shooting indiscriminately, leaving one of its personnel with an ankle injury.
He stated, “At that hour of the day, the gunmen drove in and started shooting sporadically. Nobody died, but one of our personnel sustained a bullet injury on his ankle. Our station guards later repelled the attack.
“The fear of OSPAC is the beginning of wisdom in the entire Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni LGA and Rivers State at large. Just that for the past eight months we came on board, our welfare has not been catered for. We have been struggling to survive.”
The state OSPAC image maker however urged residents of ONELGA to be law abiding and go about their normal activities without fear and assured that the perpetrators will be fished out.
When contacted on Sunday afternoon, spokesperson for the Rivers State Police Command, Blessing Agabe, an Assistant Superintendent of Police, confirmed the attack on the vigilante office, saying investigation is ongoing.
Agabe stated, “I can confirm the incident. No arrest for now because the incident happened late in the night, but investigation is ongoing to unmask the identities of the perpetrators with a view to bringing them to justice.”
