Cyprus Court Jails Nigerian Student 27 Years For Murder

For killing his fellow student, a court in Republic of Cyprus has sentenced a Nigerian, one Christopher Ezeh, to 27 years imprisonment.

Ezeh was convicted in connection with the murder of another Nigerian student, Walshak Augustine Ngok over two years ago.

Also sentenced by the Lefkosa High Criminal Court is a Ghanaian, one Nana Nkansah, and a Zimbabwean, Wayne Moyo, who helped transport the body away from the crime scene. Both accomplices bagged three years sentence each for their role in the murder.

With this judgment, the judicial process on the case of Walshak, who was murdered on April 19, 2019 in northern Cyprus has now been completed.

Court President Nüvit Gazi, Senior Judge Şerife Kâtip and Judge Umut İnan, who constituted the Lefkosa High Criminal Court, pronounced the unanimous decision on Monday, May 10, 2021.

Ngok, aged 25, was found dead in a forest area in Haspolat – Tashkent Highway on Friday, April 19 with the Police autopsy report indicating that he died from head trauma and suffocation.

Twelve people, including 11 males and one female were later arrested in connection with the incident in two separate operations carried out in Gonyeli and an apartment located in the Lavinyum Site in Dikmen on Sunday, April 21.

Ezeh, who was the victim’s roommate, confessed to killing Augustine after a row and taking his body to the forest area.

According to the Police report, on the day of the incident, the suspect and the victim, who both drank alcohol, were in the company with some friends in a restaurant in Girne eating when trouble started due to issues over a girl.

Some of their friends, who were there, tried to broker peace between them before police arrived at the scene. The two were said to have continued fighting when they later got home.

Christopher reportedly beat Augustine severely which made him unconscious. He then dragged him down the stairs of the apartment where he continued to beat a helpless Augustine.

When he noticed that his victim was no longer breathing, he decided to take him to Haspolat- Taskent forest area and dumped him at the entrance of the forest area instead of going to the hospital. The other suspects confessed that they could not prevent the accused due to the severity of his anger.

Court President Gazi, who read the verdict, said murder committed by the defendant is one of the most serious crimes envisaging a life imprisonment.

Noting that crimes of killing have increased in recent years, Gazi said the right to life is the most fundamental right and that it is a necessity to enjoy all other rights, and that the defendant takes away all the rights of the deceased.

He regretted that Christopher battered the deceased in the restaurant they went to in Kyrenia, continued beating him when they met in front of their apartment while they were in separate vehicles, and continued to assault him while at home, squeezing his throat,causing head trauma, cerebral hemorrhage and seriously injuring the victim.

Nüvit Gazi announced that the unanimous sentence convicting all three defendants were based on the fact that they caused the death of someone else due to brutality, imprudence and carelessness, which the law provides a prison sentence of about four years.