The killer of a Nigerian student, Walshak Augustine Ngok, has been sentenced to 27 years in prison while two others received 3-year jail term each for their role in the crime.
The judicial process into the murder of Walshak Augustine Ngok, a Nigerian national, who was murdered in April 2019, in northern Cyprus has been completed, and judgment delivered.
Court president Nüvit Gazi, Senior Judge Şerife Kâtip and Judge Umut İnan, who constitute the Lefkosa High Criminal Court, announced the unanimous decision of the delegation on Monday, May 10, 2021.
The culprit, Chrstopher Ezeh, a Nigerian was sentenced to 27 years, while Nana Nkansah, a Ghanaian and Wayne Moyo, a Zimbabwean, who helped transport the body, were sentenced to three years each.
Walshak Ngok, 25 was found dead in a forest area in Haspolat – Tashkent highway on Friday, April, 19. An autopsy carried out by the police showed that he died from head trauma and suffocation.
Twelve people including 11 males and 1 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.
Christopher Ezeh, who was a roommate to the victim, confessed to killing Augustine after a row and taking his body to a forest area.
According to a report at the time of the incident, on the day of the incident, it was learnt that the suspect and the victim who both took 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 Walshak 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.
Gazi, who read the verdict, underlined that the crime of murder committed by the defendant is one of the most serious crimes envisaging a life imprisonment. Pointing out that crimes of killing have increased in recent years, Gazi emphasised that 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.
Gazi said the defendant battered the deceased in the restaurant they went to in Kyrenia, continued to beat 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 defendant.
Nüvit Gazi announced that they unanimously sentenced the defendant Ezeh Christopher to 27 years in prison while Nkansah and Moyo were sentenced to three years in prison each after they were convicted of causing the death of someone else as a result of imprudence and carelessness, which provides a prison sentence of up to 4 years in the law
