Mr Ikechukwu Anyene, the
President of Nigeria Union in South Africa, on
Thursday, decried the killing of a Nigerian in Hillbrow,
Johannesburg.The
Nigerian, Nonso Odo, 30, from Amangwu-Nkwerre, Imo state, was
allegedly tortured to death by South African Police officers on
Thursday.
Mr Emeka Ezinteje, Public Relations Officer of the union,
told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Johannesburg that the union
decried the incident after receiving the report.Ezinteje said reports
indicated that the deceased, who was a barber, quarreled with a
fellow Nigerian in their business centre.“After
the quarrel, the fellow Nigerian stopped a police patrol team. The
barber ran when he saw the patrol team.’’According to Ezinteje,
the police patrol went after Odo; 30 minutes later, the police
brought back the lifeless body of the barber.“Not
satisfied with the police report, some members of the union went to
see the corpse in hospital.’’He said Sgt. Nengobeni, a South
African police officer at the hospital, denied that the police killed
him.The officer said the police were flagged down by somebody while
the victim took to his heels.Nengobeni said by the time the police
got to the victim, he was tired and gasping for breath and was
pronounced dead on getting to the hospital.Ezinteje said the union
suspected foul play and would get to the root of the case.“
We
have also received reports by eyewitnesses that Odo was beaten to
death.“We
have ordered a post mortem to ascertain the cause of Odo`s death. The
union will also take this case to the Independent Police
Investigative Department, for more investigation.“
The
department is responsible for investigating wrong doings by police
officers’’, he said.He also said the incident had been reported
to Nigeria`s Consulate General in Johannesburg and Hillbrow Police
Station, also in Johannesburg. 