South African policemen to appear in court for allegedly killing Nigerian man
- South African police officers accused of killing a Nigerian man, Ibrahim Badmus, are to face trial
- Badmus was brutally murdered on Oct. 10, 2017 at Vanderbidjk Park, South Africa
- He was accused on being a drug peddlar but the police couldn't find any drug on him or in his home
The Nigerian Mission in South Africa announced on Friday, July 20, that police officers implicated in the alleged murder of a Nigerian, Ibrahim Badmus, would be charged to court soon.
Badmus, 25, who was murdered in 2017, was among no fewer than 120 Nigerians, mainly young people, killed in South Africa since February, 2016
Nigeria’s Consul-General in South Africa, Godwin Adama, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in a telephone interview from Johannesburg that the South African authorities had confirmed that investigation into the murder of Badmus was almost concluded.
“Badmus, a native of Lagos state, was brutally murdered by the South African police on Oct. 10, 2017 at Vanderbidjk Park, South Africa.
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“Police officers implicated in the murder will be charged to court any moment from now,” the envoy said.
South African police officers were said to have stormed the home of Badmus, an undergraduate at Vaal University of Technology in Vanderbijlpark in South Africa, alleging that Badmus was trafficking drugs.
But it was learnt that when the operatives searched the home of the young Nigerian, they could not find any drug.
The operatives, allegedly asked the deceased for money and when he could not give them money, they handcuffed him and used excessive pepper spray on him. He passed out and died, due to suffocation
Adama said that the case was classified as high-profile because of the tension generated by the development as some Nigerians, who had confrontation with the police almost took laws into their hands.
The consul-general said that on hearing the development, he immediately rushed to the scene where he interfaced with aggrieved Nigerians and the police to calm frayed nerves.
“I led a delegation from the mission to visit the scene on receipt of the information. When we arrived the scene, the place was tensed up because Nigerians there were not happy.
“We immediately met with the station commander in the area with some selected Nigerians.
“The police assured that a thorough investigation would be carried out and that the culprit would be brought to book.”
He said that the police authorities later arrested the police officers, who perpetrated the crime and commenced investigation.
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Adama said that the mission had followed up on the case and that it was clear that investigating authorities had done a thorough job.
Legit.ng earlier reported that troubled by frequent killings of Nigerians, the Nigerian Union in South Africa has called for the arrests and prosecution of killers.
The president of the union, Adetola Olubajo, blamed the incessant killings of Nigerians in South Africa on lack of prosecution of offenders by the authorities.
Olubajo said that the inability of the South African government to bring to book those perpetrating the heinous crimes against Nigerians has given the criminals free hands.
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Source: Legit.ng
