South African policemen take pride in killing Nigerians, says the Nigerian Citizens’ Association in South Africa (NICASA).

The association stated this as it called for calm over the killing of 30-year-old Stanley Igwe allegedly by South African police.

Mr Igwe, who hailed from Amandugba, Isu local government area of Imo, was reportedly killed on June 6 by police officers in Newcastle, KwaZulu-Natal.

On Tuesday, the President-General of NICASA, Ben Okoli, said, “NICASA also appeals to the relevant authorities, especially the police, to carry out a thorough investigation and ensure that the culprits of this alleged act of murder are arrested, prosecuted, and jailed.

“Police officers who take pride in the killing of Nigerians under one pretence or the other must be stopped. We trust in the capacity of the police to thoroughly investigate the case, arrest the culprits, prosecute and secure the conviction of the criminals.”

He explained that NICASA had taken measures to alert KwaZulu-Natal provincial chairman Bartholomew Eziagulu of Igwe’s killing.

Mr Okoli commended the KwaZulu-Natal chairman and his executive members for driving to Newcastle, a journey of about four hours from Durban, to get information about the circumstances of Mr Igwe’s death.

He added that some Nigerians, who witnessed Igwe’s arrest, testified that an unmarked black Golf car occupied by men in mufti stormed Bosco parking lot behind a popular meat buy and braai, where they accosted him.

“Out of fear and not recognising the men as police officers, but as robbers, Igwe ran to a nearby shopping arcade near Spar supermarket. The men pursued him into the arcade, where they got him in front of a shop known as ‘Power.’

“They punched and kicked him out from the arcade, and when the deceased queried why he was being attacked, he was further punched and kicked into the police van. The incident happened at about 11:00 a.m., and it was alleged that the police drove him around for several hours, and in between, they stopped and took turns to beat Igwe and throw him back into the van,” Mr Okoli narrated.

The NICASA chairman further stated, “When they realised that he was dead in their custody, they drove him to the Newcastle police station at about 1:00 p.m. and reported that he had ingested some substance, which had killed him.

“This development angered the Nigerian community who believed it was obviously a murder case and angrily went to the police station to demand that Igwe’s killers be brought to book.”