Nigerians living in the Gauteng province of South Africa have staged protests against the alleged extra-judicial killing of the a 34-year old man, Timothy Chinedu.
Nigerians living in the Gauteng province of South Africa have staged protests against the alleged extra-judicial killing of the a 34-year old man, Timothy Chinedu.
Speaking to media sources, the Chairman of the Nigerian Union in Gauteng Province, Mathew Okafor, stated that Mr. Chinedu was suffocated by the South African police after his arrest Saturday morning.
Mr. Okafor substantiated this claim through the reference of an eye witness account of the arrest. The eyewitness saw Mr. Chinedu’s arrest, and informed Mr. Okafor that the man was handcuffed and that a cellophane bag was placed over his head.
The case is now under investigation by the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) the organization tasked with handling cases of police misconduct in South Africa.
Mr. Okafor’s organization has also brought the case to the attention of the Nigerian mission in South Africa.
Nigeria’s Consul General to South Africa Uche Ajulu-Okeke confirmed that the mission received a notification regarding the death of Mr. Chinedu.
She informed media sources that she would investigate the case, and present a report to the government in Abuja.