Italy will hold elections next month, however the assassination of a Nigerian man in broad daylight on the streets of a beach town while witnesses looked on has sparked outrage and reignited a discourse about racism and crimes against migrants.
The attacker, who also stole Alika Ogorchukwu’s cell phone, chased him, hit him with his own crutch, and then beat him “to death with bare hands” while he was on the ground, according to Macerata police.
A passerby who witnessed the incident in the eastern seaside town of Civitanova Marche recorded video of it, but at one point, no one could be seen physically stepping in to stop it.
The event happened on Friday at 2:00 pm in Civitanova Marche’s major central thoroughfare.
The Nigerian embassy were embittered by the event. According to an official statement “the incident occurred on a busy street and infront of shocked onlookers, some of whom made videos of the attack, with little or no attempt to prevent it.”
Paramedics arrived at the scene and discovered Ogorchukwu dead, according to the police statement from Sunday.
Ogochukwu was on his bicycle when he was struck by a car last year, leaving him with a limp. Mantella claimed that he needed a crutch to get around.
According to the attorney, he sold minor items like lighters and tissue paper. In an effort to do better business, he made the daily drive from his home in the little village of San Severino Marche to Civitanova Marche.
Mantella reported that a fundraiser has been started to aid Ogorchukwu’s widow and their 8-year-old son. The mayor of Civitanova Marche has declared that the municipality will cover the costs of the deceased’s funeral.
