Killer Of Two Nigerian Security Guards Jailed For Life In Canada
Nearly four years after two young Nigerians were gunned down at a nightclub in Vaughan, Ontario, a Canadian court has handed their killer a life sentence, drawing commendation from the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, which described the verdict as a measure of justice long awaited by two grieving families.
The Ontario Court of Justice sentenced the offender to life imprisonment with no eligibility for parole for 25 years, following his conviction on two counts of first-degree murder and one count of unlawfully causing bodily harm. The deaths of Chibueze Momah and Tosin Amos-Arowoshegbe occurred at a nightclub in Vaughan on July 23, 2022.
Though NiDCOM did not name the convict in its statement, court records identify him as Kensworth Alton Francis, 31, of Mississauga, who received two life sentences to be served concurrently and was separately sentenced to eight years for the bodily harm conviction. Francis was arrested by the U.S. Marshals Service in Hartford, Connecticut, on March 24, 2024, and later extradited to York Region to stand trial after a Canada-wide warrant was issued. He had appeared at No. 7 on Canada’s 25 Most Wanted list in May 2023 in connection with the killings.
In a statement issued on Wednesday by its Director of Media, Public Relations and Protocols, Abdur-Rahman Balogun, the Commission said the ruling marked a significant step toward accountability.
“While no judicial outcome can restore the lives of the deceased or erase the pain endured by their families, the sentencing represents a significant step toward accountability and justice for the victims and their loved ones,” the statement read.
The Commission recalled that Momah, aged 22 at the time of his death, was the only son of Mr Ikechukwu Momah and a member of a family of five. He had recently graduated with a diploma in Computer Programming and hoped to build a career in technology and reunite with his family in Canada.
Amos-Arowoshegbe, 25, was killed while on duty as a security officer. A 20-year-old woman was also injured in the shooting but survived.
NiDCOM Chairman, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, had paid condolence visits to the bereaved families following the 2022 incident. The Commission praised the law enforcement and judicial authorities involved in the investigation, extradition, and prosecution, and reaffirmed its commitment to advocating for justice whenever Nigerians fall victim to crimes abroad.
The case unfolds against the backdrop of a fast-growing Nigerian presence in Canada. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada data show that permanent residency grants to Nigerians rose to 20,380 in 2024 from 17,465 in 2023, placing Nigeria fifth among Canada’s top immigration source countries.
The Nigerian community remains concentrated in Ontario, particularly the Greater Toronto Area, where Vaughan is located. Broadly, NiDCOM estimates that about 17 million Nigerians live abroad, with major populations in the United Kingdom, United States, Canada, Dubai, and South Africa.
The verdict adds to a pattern of diaspora-focused interventions by the Commission, which has repeatedly stepped in on behalf of Nigerians facing legal jeopardy or violence overseas. With Francis sentenced, attention is likely to turn to the families’ continued recovery and to NiDCOM’s broader push for protection of citizens within an increasingly mobile diaspora.