A Malaysian High Court has sentenced Nigerian national Ibekwe Emeka Augustine to death by hanging for the 2020 killing of his four-year-old step-grandson in Kuala Lumpur. Justice K. Muniandy delivered the ruling on Friday, January 9, 2026, after finding Mr Augustine guilty of murder. “You are sentenced to death by hanging until you are dead. However, you have the right to appeal against the sentence at the Court of Appeal,” the judge said, quoting the court’s decision.
The court also imposed additional prison terms for related offences, including sexual assault of his 25-year-old stepdaughter and attempted harm against family members. The defence argued that his actions stemmed from mental illness and drug consumption. “It is not necessary to take another life,” his lawyer, Zulkifli Awang, told the court, adding, “I regret everything that happened, and it will not happen again… Please have mercy on me. Everything is in your hands,” a statement the accused made while pleading for leniency.