Nigerian barber dies in South African Police custody

SOUTH African police have raised the prospect of increased tension between the local population and the resident Nigerian community after torturing Nigerian Nonso Odo to death while he was in their custody.

According to the Nigeria Union in South Africa (Nusa), Mr Odo, from Amangwu-Nkwerre, Imo State, died in police custody after being arrested following an argument with fellow Nigerians in a business centre. A barber by profession, Mr Odo was involved in an altercation in Johannesburg and when the police arrived they took him away to their station in the Hillbrow area of the city.

Emeka Ezinteje the Nusa public relations officer, said: “After the quarrel, a fellow Nigerian stopped a police patrol team and the barber ran when he saw the patrol team. The police patrol then went after Odo and 30 minutes later, they 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 and a Sergeant Nengobeni, a South African police officer at the hospital, denied that the police killed him.”

According to Sergeant Nengobeni, the police were flagged down by somebody while the victim took to his heels. He added that 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.

Mr Ezinteje said the union suspected foul play and would get to the root of the case. He added that the incident had been reported to Nigeria`s consulate-general in Johannesburg and the Hillbrow Police Station in Johannesburg. “We have received reports by eyewitnesses that Odo was beaten to death. We have ordered a post mortem to ascertain the cause of Odo’s death and the union will also take this case to the Independent Police Investigative Department, for more investigation, Mr Ezinteje added.

Nigerian barber dies in South African Police custody