CRIME
Abia Govt Condemns Killing of Citizen by South African Police, Demands Justice
Abia State Government has condemned the alleged killing of an Abia indigene, Mr Chika Ibe, by members of the South African Police Service in Cape Town, describing the incident as a brutal act that demands a swift, transparent and independent investigation.
The government also called on the South African authorities to ensure that those responsible are identified, arrested and prosecuted, urging decisive action to halt attacks against Nigerians living in the country.
In a statement issued on Tuesday by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Publicity, Mr Ferdinand Ekeoma, the state government said it received with “shock and deep sadness” the news of the death of Mr Ibe, a native of Lokpaukwu in Umunneochi Local Government Area of Abia State.
According to the statement, Mr Ibe allegedly died in Police custody on Wednesday, July 23, following a violent assault by officers of the South African Police Service.
The state government said videos circulating online showed Police officers assaulting the deceased, with one officer allegedly using a polyethylene bag to repeatedly suffocate him.
It added that in one of the videos, Mr Ibe was heard shouting, “I’m dying”, but alleged that the officers “remained unperturbed until he stopped breathing”.
“The circumstances surrounding the operation are still under investigation, but what is clear from the footage is a level of cruelty that is condemnable in the strongest terms”, the statement read.
The state government further expressed concern that the incident came shortly after reports that another Nigerian, Mr Egwabor Patrick Chuks, was allegedly shot and is currently receiving treatment for severe injuries.
The Abia state government recalled repeated attacks against Nigerians in South Africa, saying tha it aligns itself with the Federal Government’s condemnation of the incident.
“We recall with pain that in recent times, many Nigerians have either been killed, assaulted, or had their businesses looted in a wave of xenophobic attacks and targeted violence carried out by some South Africans.
“Nigerians in the diaspora deserve to live with dignity and safety, not in fear”, the statement said.
It urged the South African Government to respond promptly to the Federal Government’s demand for “a swift, transparent and independent investigation into the killing, insisting that “the perpetrators of this heinous act must be identified, arrested, and prosecuted to the full extent of the law”.
“Anything short of justice will be a further insult to Nigeria and to the memory of this Abian and other Nigerians that had died in similar circumstances”, the statement said.
The government also called on the South African authorities to “immediately bring the carnage to a halt by genuinely calling its citizens to order,” describing the attacks as “a very sad commentary on Africans who are supposed to live as brothers and sisters”.
According to the statement, Governor Alex Otti commiserated with the family of the deceased on behalf of the government and people of Abia State and prayed that God would grant them the fortitude to bear the loss and grant the late Mr Ibe eternal rest.