The Nigerian Consulate General in Johannesburg has called on South African authorities to investigate the death of a Nigerian, Odueze Chimezie Odueze, who allegedly died after being tortured by police officers in Cape Town.
In a statement issued on Tuesday by the Consul General, Ambassador Ninikanwa O. Okey-Uche, the mission said Odueze died on October 9 in the Parklands area of the city.
The Consulate said the reports of his alleged torture and brutality had left his family, the Nigerian community and Nigeria’s diplomatic missions in South Africa shocked and grieved.
According to the statement, Odueze was arrested at a shopping centre on suspicion of drug possession and taken to his residence for a search. The Consulate claimed no drugs were found there, yet he was still subjected to torture that led to his death.
Describing the incident as “one too many”, the mission said repeated reports of Nigerians dying in alleged extrajudicial killings in South Africa raise serious concerns about the safety of Nigerians and other foreign nationals in the country.
It also cautioned against the stereotyping of Nigerians, insisting that allegations against individuals should not be used to paint all Nigerians in South Africa with the same brush.
The Consulate urged South African authorities to look into the circumstances of Odueze’s death and prosecute anyone found culpable.
“Our position remains that no matter what the allegations may be, there are processes and steps to justice. All should be granted fair hearing in a court of law and no one should take laws into their own hands,” the statement said.
The mission further appealed to Nigerians in South Africa to remain calm, law-abiding and security-conscious, amid reported xenophobic and Afrophobic attacks and threats against foreigners.
It offered condolences to Odueze’s family and pledged to keep pushing for the protection and fair treatment of Nigerians in the country.
The statement did not say whether South African authorities had opened an investigation into the death, or whether any officers had been arrested in connection with it.
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