A Nigerian man has been brutally murdered by the police in South Africa in what has caused a severe outcry.
File photo: South African police officers
The Nigerian community in South Africa on Sunday confirmed the death of a Nigerian and the abduction of another member in that country, Vanguard reports.
Mr Ikechukwu Anyene, the President of Nigeria Union, South Africa, said on telephone from Pretoria that both incidents had been reported to the Nigerian Mission in that country.
He alleged that one Victor Nnadi, a native of Orlu in Imo , was suffocated to death on Thursday by the Metropolitan Police in Cape Town.
Anyene claimed that eye witnesses saw the police handcuff the victim and suffocated him to death.
“ When the people saw what happened, they raised an alarm and confronted the police.
“ The union`s chapter in Cape Town is already on top of the situation and trying its best to facilitate the release of the detained brother of the deceased,” he said.
Anyene, however, urged the Federal Government to persuade the South African government to put measures in place to stop the killing of Nigerians.
The union , he said, also got information on Dec. 24 that one Austin Agunwa, a native of Umuawulu, in Awka South Local Government Area of Anambra, was abducted by unidentified persons at Rustenburg, North West Province.
He said Nigerians in the province raised a search team which later found the victim`s car abandoned, after a crash near a bridge.
Anyene, however, said the vehicle had no blood stain. “ As we speak, we don’t know his whereabouts and nobody has claimed responsibility for his abduction.
“ We have directed the union`s chapter in the area to report the incident to the police and open a case on the missing Nigerian,” he said.
Anyene also said that the union`s national body would liaise with Nigeria’s High Commission to visit Rustenburg over the incident.
“ We have also advised our people to be calm and remain law abiding as the union and the Nigerian Mission are handling the situation,” he said.