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The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission has launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of a 50-year-old Nigerian man, Jeremiah Okoye, while in police custody in Limpopo, South Africa.
The commission’s spokesperson, Abdulrahman Balogun, revealed this to PUNCH Metro on Saturday, following reports of Okoye’s death on Friday.
Okoye, who lived at 71 Magazyn Street, Polokwane, Limpopo Province, had been residing in South Africa for 22 years before his death.
The victim, a native of Eziniffite Nnewi in Anambra, reportedly died while in police custody in Limpopo Province on January 13.
The President of the Nigerian Citizens Association in South Africa, Frank Onyekwelu, confirmed the incident in a statement provided to PUNCH Online on Friday.
Onyekwelu expressed concern over the police brutality faced by Nigerians in South Africa, calling for strict adherence to the rule of law. He added, “Investigations are ongoing to determine the cause of his untimely death.
“We implore all our citizens to be law-abiding and allow the authorities to utilise all their resources to unravel the circumstances surrounding the death of Okoye,” he said.
Onyekwelu added, “We hope that his death will not become a statistic like others before it. The deaths of Nigerians in South Africa, particularly under police custody, have become a recurring issue that needs to be stopped.
“We fear that these recurring deaths of Nigerians in police custody, if unchecked, will become a dangerous pattern.”
In a separate report by the News Agency of Nigeria, the NICASA president stated that he had officially notified the Nigerian High Commission and Consulate in South Africa and had also reached out to Okoye’s family and friends in Limpopo following the tragic incident.
“Nigerian citizens in South Africa say no to police brutality and killings and demand justice for the late Okoye.
“Our lives matter; nationality is not criminality,” he maintained.
In response to PUNCH Online’s enquiries about the actions being taken by NiDCOM regarding police brutality against Nigerians in South Africa, Balogun confirmed that the commission was aware of the situation and that an investigation had already begun.
“True. It is under investigation,” Balogun simply stated.
A similar incident occurred when four suspected South African men allegedly killed a 37-year-old Nigerian, Mr Julius Chukwunta.
Chukwunta, a native of Aninri Local Government Area in Enugu State, was reportedly attacked on December 7, 2024, while driving to his home in the Midrand Protea Estate in South Africa.
According to reports, Chukwunta was blocked by the four men as he approached his residence.
The four men allegedly inflicted a severe head injury on him, which reportedly led to his death on December 13, 2024.
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