South African police allegedly tortures another Nigerian to death

Doosuur Iwambe, Abuja

Members of the South African Police Service in Ladysmith, Kwa-zulu-Natal Province on Friday allegedly tortured another Nigerian citizen, Maxwell Ikechuku Okoye to death.

Okoye is from Oji River Local Government Area of Enugu state.

Confirming the incident to journalists in Pretoria, the Vice-President, Nigerian Union in South Africa, Joshua Ogade Itua, said that Okoye was allegedly tortured to death in the early hours of Friday.

He said that the police came to the deceased’s apartment and forced their way in, adding that while they were with him, he called to alert other Nigerians, but before they could get to his apartment the police had made away with his body.

Itua said that Maxwell’s lifeless body was later seen at the mortuary.

Speaking further, Itua disclosed that leaders of the Nigerian community went to the police on a fact- finding, noting that his death has added to the number of Nigerians that were killed either by the police or through Xenophobia in that country.

“The station commander of Ladysmith claimed that he was met foaming as at the time they gained entrance to his apartment.

Police murder inquest has been opened and the independent police investigative directorate in Kwa-zulu-Natal province has been informed for full investigation.

“We call on our government to seriously engage its counterparts in South Africa, for investigation and prosecution if the case is not a natural death.

This is because, according to our leaders who went to the mortuary, there were bruises and blood all over his body; hence, we have every reason to believe that he was tortured to death.

“Our stand as the foremost Nigerian organization in South Africa is that all cases involving the killings of Nigerians should be investigated and prosecuted, irrespective of the nationality and status of the perpetrators,” he said.

Maxwell who was born on October 5, 1979, is survived by two children.